122 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



sight together* Thus, while in colour, habits, lan- 

 guage, and even in its manner of soaring up like a 

 rocket to let off its curious melody, the male is the 

 most conspicuous of small birds, the female, acted 

 on in an opposite direction by natural selection, has 

 been, so to speak, effaced* While flying they do 

 not look like birds of the same species : the male 

 moves with wings rapidly fluttered, like a Starling, 

 but with a slower, more laborious flight, and without 

 deviating ; the female, in her eccentric movements in 

 the air, reminds one of a large moth, driven from its 

 hiding-place and flying about confused with the glare 

 of noon. 



The nest is made of dry grass on the ground, so 

 cunningly concealed that it is difficult to find* The 

 eggs are four, white, spotted with reddish brown. 

 When they have young I have never been able to 

 detect the female flying about in search of food. 



All through the summer these birds are solitary, 

 but when migrating in the autumn, though many 

 are seen travelling singly and appear very conspicuous 

 as they fly laboriously in a straight line, at an altitude 

 of about twenty yards from the surface, others are 

 seen making their journey in small flocks or parties 

 composed of six to a do^en individuals* These are 

 the males* The females travel separately, in twos 

 or threes or singly, flying nearer to the earth, with 

 frequent pauses when the wings cease beating, and 

 intervals of gliding, also darting occasionally to one 

 side, as if the bird had suddenly taken fright* 



