138 RIO PARANA. [CHAP. vn. 



These birds are common far inland along the course of the 

 Rio Parana ; it is said that they remain here during the whole 

 year, and breed in the marshes. During the day they rest in 

 flocks en the grassy plains, at some distance from the water. 

 Being at anchor, as I have said, in one of the deep creeks be- 

 tween the islands of the Parana, as the evening drew to a close, 

 one of these scissor-beaks suddenly appeared. The water was 

 quite still, and many little fish were rising. The bird continued 

 for a long time to skim the surface, flying in its wild and irre- 

 gular manner up and down the narrow canal, now dark with the 

 growing night and the shadows of the overhanging trees. At 

 Monte Video, I observed that some large flocks during the day 

 remained on the mud-banks at the head of the harbour, in the 

 same manner as on the grassy plains near the Parana ; and every 

 evening they took flight seaward. From these facts I suspect 

 that the Rhynchops generally fishes by night, at which time many 

 of the lower animals come most abundantly to the surface. M. 

 Lesson states that he has seen these birds opening the shells of 

 the mactrae buried in the sand-banks on the coast of Chile : 

 from their weak bills, with the lower mandible so much project- 

 ing, their short legs and long wings, it is very improbable that 

 this can be a general habit. 



In our course down the Parana, I observed only three other 

 birds, whose habits are worth mentioning. One is a small king- 

 fisher (Ceryle Americana) ; it has a longer tail than the European 

 species, and hence does not sit in so stiff and upright a position. 

 Its flight also, instead of being direct and rapid, like the course 

 of an arrow, is weak and undulatory, as among the soft-billed 

 birds. It utters a low note, like tiie clicking together of two 

 small stones. A small green parrot (Conurus murinus), with a 

 grey breast, appears to prefer the tall trees on the islands to any 

 other situation for its building-place. A number of nests are 

 placed so close together as to form one great mass of sticks. 

 These parrots always live in flocks, and commit great ravages on 

 the corn-Selds. I was told that near Colonia 2500 were killed 

 in the course of one year. A bird with a forked tail, terminated 

 by two long feathers (Tyrannus savana), and named by the 

 Spaniards scissor-tail, is very common near Buenos Ayres : it 

 commonly sits on a branch of the ombu tree, near a house, and 



