4 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



brick walls, where it is seen deftly inserting its 

 slender crimson bill into the small spider-holes in 

 search of prey* The nest, like that of most humming- 

 birds, is a small, beautifully-made structure, com- 

 posed of a variety of materials held closely together 

 with spiders' webs, and is placed on a branch, or 

 in a fork, or else suspended from slender drooping 

 vines or twigs* Sometimes the nest is suspended to 

 the thatch overhanging the eaves of a cottage, for 

 except where persecuted the bird is quite fearless of 

 man's presence. The eggs are two, and white, 



Besides the little creaking chirp uttered at short 

 intervals while flying or hovering, this species has a 

 set song, composed of five or six tenuous and squeak- 

 ing notes, uttered in rapid succession when the bird 

 is perched. It is a song like that of the European 

 Goldcrest in shape, and resembles it in sound, but 

 is less musical, or more squeaky. 



NACUNDA GOATSUCKER 



Podager nacunda 



Above brown with black vermiculations and blotches; wings 

 black with a broad white bar across the base of the primaries ; four 

 outer tail-feathers broadly tipped with white ; breast brown variegated 

 with black ; chin fulvous ; band across throat and belly white ; 

 length ii, wing 9.5 inches. Female similar but without white 

 on tail. 



THE specific name of this Goatsucker is from the 

 Guarani word Nacundd t which Azara tells us is the 

 Indian nickname for any person with a very large 



