4 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



in search of food, and when approached darts away 

 with loud chuckling notes, flying close to the sur- 

 face. They are also often seen pursuing each other 

 through the trees with loud, harsh screams. They 

 remind one in their habits now of the Missel Thrush, 

 now of the Blackbird, 



The song has a faint resemblance to that of the 

 Throstle, being composed of a variety of discon- 

 nected notes with frequent pauses ; but it is, both 

 in sweetness and strength, inferior to that of the 

 English bird, A poor song for a Thrush, and the 

 bird perhaps knows it, as he sings concealed in a 

 thick bush or tree. 



The nest is deep, well made, plastered inside with 

 mud, and concealed in the centre of a large bush or 

 low tree. The eggs are four, pale blue in colour, and 

 thickly spotted with brown. 



MAGELLANIC THRUSH 



Turdus magellanicus 



Head, wings, and tail brownish black, rest of upper surface olive- 

 brown ; under surface pale rufous ; white throat striped with black ; 

 bill and feet dull yellow ; length 10.5 inches. 



THIS fine Thrush inhabits Patagonia and Chili, and 

 is hardly distinguished from the preceding species by 

 casual observers, but it is a larger bird, with a darker 

 upper and paler under plumage. Its nest and eggs 

 are also precisely like those of its northern repre- 

 sentative. The song is, however, even poorer, and 



