FIREWOOD-GATHERER 223 



pampas, but in its habits resembles a Wren of the 

 genus Cistothorus rather than a Pipit, being partial 

 to moist situations, where there' is a rank growth of 

 grass and herbage. The wings are very short, and 

 the flight so feeble that the bird refuses to rise after 

 being pursued a distance of one or two hundred 

 yards. And yet I am not prepared to say that it does 

 not migrate, as I have found that in spring it all at 

 once becomes very abundant, while in the cold 

 season it is rarely seen. It is solitary, and in spring 

 sits on a thistle or stalk, uttering at short intervals 

 its small grasshopper-like song or call. The nest is 

 a slight open structure of grass, lined with a few 

 feathers, placed in a tuft of grass or reeds. The eggs 

 are pure white in colour. 



FIREWOOD-GATHERER 



Anumbius acuticaudatus 



Above earthy brown, forehead chestnut, supercilfaries white ; head, 

 neck, and back marked with black striations; primaries blackish, 

 secondaries pale chestnut-brown ; tail black, all the feathers except 

 the middle pair broadly tipped with cream-colour ; beneath pale ochra- 

 ceous brown, white on the throat, the white bordered on each side by 

 numerous black spots ; length 8.5 inches. 



THIS is a common and very well-known species 

 throughout the Argentine country and Patagonia, 

 also in Uruguay and Paraguay, and is variously 

 called Espinero (Thorn-bird), Tim-rim, in imitation 



