RED-BILLED GROUND-FINCH 57 



RED-BILLED GROUND-FINCH 



Embernagra platensis 



Above dull olive-green, striped with blackish ; wings silky olive- 

 green, the inner webs of the feathers black ; edge of wings yellow ; 

 tail-feathers dull olive-green ; beneath grey, belly buff ; beak bright 

 red ; length 8.8 inches. 



IN this Finch the plumage is alike in both sexes. 

 Above it is dusky olive-green, beneath grey ; the 

 beak is of a fine bright red. In Argentina this bird is 

 most common in the littoral forests along the Plata, 

 but ranges as far south as the Rio Negro in Pata- 

 gonia. It does not migrate, nor associate in flocks ; 

 but the sexes are faithful, and the male and female 

 are invariably together, and appear to be very fond 

 of each other's society. They have a loud, sharp 

 alarm chirp or cry, which bursts from the bird with 

 the startling suddenness of a sneeze from a human 

 being ; also a confused unmelodious song, which 

 always reminds me, in its hurry, vehemence, and 

 peculiar sound, of the gobbling of a turkey-cock. 

 They are not shy, but when approached sit jerking 

 their tails about, and uttering loud chirps as if greatly 

 excited. The flight is very curious ; the bird springs 

 up with great suddenness, and with tail erect, the 

 long legs dangling down like a Rail's, and proceeds by 

 a series of irregular jerks, violently shutting and 

 opening its wings. They breed on the ground under 

 the grass, and conceal their nest so well that I doubt 

 whether the parasitical Molothrus ever finds it. I 



