17 DENDROCOLAPTID.E. 



days, calling incessantly, but there were no other birds of its kind in 

 the place, and it eventually disappeared. Three days later it returned 

 with a new mate, and immediately the two birds began carrying pellets 

 of mud to the oven, with which they plastered up the entrance. After- 

 wards they built a second oven, using the sepulchre of the dead bird for 

 its foundation, and here they reared their young. My neighbour, an 

 old native, had watched the birds from the time the first oven was 

 begun, feeling greatly interested in their diligent ways, and thinking 

 their presence at his house a good omen ; and it was not strange that, 

 after witnessing the entombment of one that died, he was more con- 

 vinced than ever that the little House-builders are "pious birds. " 



179. FURNARIUS TRICOLOR, Cab. 

 (CRESTED OVEN-BIRD.) 



Furnarius tricolor, Cab. Journ.f. Orn. 1878, p. 196 (Cordova). Furnarius 

 figulus, White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 609 (?). 



Description. Above nearly uniform earthy brown, head slightly crested ; tail 

 bright ferruginous; beneath paler, throat pure white; middle of belly and 

 crissum white ; under surface of wings blackish, with a transverse bar of pale 

 cinnamon; bill hazel, paler at the base; feet blackish : whole length 5'7 inches, 

 wing 2-8, tail 2-2. 



Hab. Cordova. 



This pretty little species is a recent discovery of Doring in the 

 Sierras of Cordova ; it may be at once recognized by its small size and 

 crested head. 



180. UPUCERTHIA DUMETORIA (Geoffr. et d'Orb,). 

 (PATAGONIAN EARTH-CREEPER.) 



Ochetorhynchus dumetorius, Burm. La-Plata Eeise, ii. p. 463 (Mendoza). 

 Upucerthia dumetoria, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 62 j Hudson, P. Z. 8. 1872, 

 p. 544 (Rio Negro) ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 35, et 1878, p. 395 (Chupat) 

 White, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 433 (Cordova). 



Description. Above earthy brown ; long superciliary stripe pale ochraceous ; 

 wings blackish, with a broad transverse cinnamomeous bar; tail blackish, lateral 

 rectrices tipped with pale cinnamon ; beneath dirty white, clear white on the 

 throat and middle of the belly ; breast-feathers margined with blackish ; under 

 wing-coverts pale cinnamomeous ; bill dark horn-colour, pale at the base ; feet 

 horn-colour: whole length 9-0 inches, wing 4'0, tail 3'5. Female similar. 



Hab. Patagonia and Chili. 



