128 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



The song is continued all the year, and is heard 

 even on the coldest days in winter ; the notes are 

 few and not highly melodious, but are cheerful and 

 vigorous, 



The nest is made of dry grass and rootlets attached 

 to the rushes in moist ground, and placed close to 

 or resting on the surface. The eggs are five, the 

 ground-colour white spotted or blotched with red- 

 dish brown. 



MILITARY STARLING 



Trupialis defilippii 



Slightly smaller than last; plumage the same except the under 

 wing-coverts, which are black. 



THROUGHOUT the country where this species abounds 

 it is called Pecho Colorado, which is certainly better 

 than Azara's barbarous, if picturesque, name of 

 Degollado j but no happier name than militaris 

 could have been invented for it, by which it was 

 formerly known to naturalists ; and though it was 

 given to the bird merely on account of the red breast, 

 and was therefore equally applicable to all the red- 

 breasted species on the globe, in this case it acciden- 

 tally seemed to describe a peculiar habit of the bird, 

 as well as its bright livery. 



In size, form, gait, flight, language, and colour the 

 present bird very closely resembles the Patagonian 

 Starling ; but the crimson on the breast is brighter 



