ANUMBIUS ACUTICAUDATUS. 189 



Description. Above dark greyish brown ; elongated crest-feathers blackish ; 

 ear-coverts chestnut ; on the back, upper tail-coverts, and upper wing-coverts 

 the feathers have white and whity-brown edgings ; wing-feathers blackish, the 

 basal part of the inner webs pale brown ; rectrices bright chestnut, broadly 

 tipped with blackish ; beneath white, thickly striated with fulvous brown ; 

 under wing-coverts pale cinnamon; bill and feet light brown: whole length 

 6-2 inches, wing 2'7, tail 2-3. Female similar. 



Hab. Argentina. 



This highly interesting little bird, the only known member of its 

 genus, inhabits the dry plains of Parana and Cordova. 



The following meagre note from White, which only serves to excite 

 curiosity, comprises all that we know of its habits : 



" These birds are not found in dense woods, but in the open, tenanted 

 only by a few small trees or bushes. Five or six are usually seen 

 running about together with a quick, abrupt movement, meanwhile 

 uttering a sharp cry." 



206. ANUMBIUS ACUTICAUDATUS (Less.). 

 (FIREWOOD-GATHERER.) 



Anumbius acuticaudatus, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 4G7 (Paran.d, Men- 

 doza) ; Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 64 ; Hudson, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 159 (Buenos 

 Ayres) ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 181 (Buenos Ayres) ; White, P. Z. S. 1882, 

 p. 612 (Buenos Ayres) ; Barrows, Bull Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 211 (Entrerios). 



Description. Above earthy brown, forehead chestnut, superciliaries white, 

 head, neck, and back marked with black striations ; primaries blackish, second- 

 aries pale chestnut-brown ; tail black, all the feathers except the middle pair 

 broadly tipped with cream-colour ; beneath pale ochraceous brown, white on 

 the throat, the white bordered on each side by numerous small black spots ; bill 

 and feet pale horn-colour : whole length 8 '3 inches, wing 3*6, tail 3- 7. Female 

 similar. 



Hab. Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay. 



This is a common and very well-known species throughout the 

 Argentine country and Patagonia, also in Uruguay and Paraguay, and 

 is variously called Espinero (Thorn-bird), Tiru-riru, in imitation of its 

 note, and Anumbi (the Guarani name) ; but its best known name is 

 Lenatero, or " Firewood-Gatherer/' from the quantity of sticks which 

 it collects for building-purposes. 



The Fire wood- Gatherer is a resident in Argentina, and pairs for life. 

 Sometimes the young birds remain with their parents for a period of 

 three or four months, all the family going about and feeding in com- 

 pany, and roosting together in the old nest. The nest and the tree 



