SYNALLAXIS HUDSONI. 187 



clear brown, forming a transverse bar, the terminal part of the feathers slightly 

 edged on the outer webs and tips with ochraceous ; tail blackish, the outer pair 

 of rectrices and broad tips of the next two pairs on each side very pale brown, 

 the two middle feathers broadly margined on both webs with pale greyish 

 brown ; beneath pale ochraceous brown, with a pale sulphur-yellowish gular 

 spot ; flanks with a few black marks ; under wing-coverts light cinnamon ; bill 

 and feet pale horn-colour : whole length 7'8 inches, wing 3'2, tail 3'5. Female 

 similar. 



Hob. Argentina. 



This Spine-tail, which Sclater has named after me, is the Argentine 

 representative of S. humicola of Chili. It is common on the pampas, 

 and is sometimes called by the gauchos " Tiru-riru del campo," on 

 account of its resemblance in the upper plumage and in language to 

 Anumbius acuticaudatus. which is named " Tiru-riru/' in imitation 

 of its call-note. The addition of del campo signifies that it is a bird of 

 the open country. It is, in fact, found exclusively on the grassy 

 pampas, never perching on trees, and in habits is something like a 

 Pipit, usually being taken for one when first seen. It is quite common 

 everywhere on the pampas, and specimens have also been obtained in 

 Cordova, Uruguay, and Patagonia. 



This Spine-tail is resident, solitary, and extremely timid and stealthy 

 in its movements, living always on the ground among the long grass and 

 cardoon-thistles. At times its inquisitiveness overcomes its timidity, 

 and the bird then darts up three or four yards into the air, and jerking 

 its tail remains some moments poised aloft with breast towards the 

 intruder, emitting sharp little notes of alarm, after which it darts 

 down again and disappears in the grass. When driven up it has a wild 

 zigzag flight, and after reaching a considerable height in the air darts 

 down again with astonishing swiftness, and comes back to the very 

 spot from which it rose. It is, however, incapable of sustained flight, 

 and after being flushed two or three times refuses to rise again. In 

 spring the male perches on the summit of a cardoon-bush, or other 

 slight elevation, and at regular intervals utters a pleasing and melan- 

 choly kind of song or call, which can be heard distinctly at a distance 

 of a thousand yards, composed of four long clear plaintive notes, 

 increasing in strength, and succeeded by a falling trill. When 

 approached it becomes silent, and dropping to the ground conceals 

 itself in the grass. Under a cardoon-bush or tussock of grass it 

 scoops out a slight hollow in the ground, and builds over this a dome 

 of fine dry grass, leaving a small aperture arched like the door of a 

 baker's oven. The bed is lined with dry powdered horse-dung, and the 

 eggs are five, bluntly pointed and of a very pale buff colour. The interior 

 of the nest is so small that when the five young birds are fledged they 



