14 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



the strange vocalist* After a short interval of silence 

 I had a fresh surprise* From the very spot whence 

 that torrent of melody had issued, burst out the 

 shrill, confused, impetuous song of the small Yellow- 

 and-Grey Patagonian Flycatcher (Stigmatura flavo- 

 cinerea). It irritated me to hear this familiar and 

 trivial song after the other, and I began to fear that 

 my entertainer had flown away unobserved. But in 

 another moment, from the same spot, came the 

 mellow matin-song of the Diuca Finch, and this was 

 quickly succeeded by the silvery bell-like trilling 

 song of the Churrinche, or little Scarlet Tyrant-bird, 

 Then followed many other familiar notes and songs 

 the flute-like evening call of the Crested Tinamu, 

 the gay hurried twittering of the Black-headed Siskin, 

 and the leisurely-uttered delicious strains of the 

 Yellow Cardinal, all repeated with miraculous fidelity. 

 How much was my wonder and admiration increased 

 by the discovery that my one sweet singer had pro- 

 duced all these diverse strains I The discovery was 

 only made when he began to repeat songs of species 

 that never visit Patagonia, I knew then that I was at 

 last listening to the famed White Mocking-bird, just 

 returned from his winter travels, and repeating in 

 this southern region the notes he had acquired in 

 sub-tropical forests a thousand miles away. 



These imitations at length ceased, after which the 

 sweet vocalist resumed his own matchless song once 

 more, I ventured then to creep a little nearer, and 

 at length caught sight of him hardly fifteen yards 

 away, I then found that the pleasure of listening to 



