20 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



in spring scattered about the plantation, screaming 

 and chattering in their usual manner when about 

 to breed* I watched them, and found that after a 

 time the flock broke up into small parties of three 

 or four, and not into couples, and I could not detect 

 them building* At length I discovered three broken 

 eggs on the ground, and on examining the tree 

 overhead found an incipient nest composed of about 

 a dozen sticks laid crossways and out of which the 

 eggs had been dropped* This was in October, and 

 for a long time no other attempt at a nest was made ; 

 but wasted eggs were dropped in abundance on the 

 ground, and I continued rinding them for about 

 four months* Early in January another incipient 

 nest was found, and on the ground beneath it six 

 broken eggs* At the end of that month two large 

 nests were made, each nest by one pair of birds, and 

 in the two fourteen or fifteen young birds were 

 reared. 



When taken young the Guira Cuckoos become 

 very tame, and make bold, noisy, mischievous pets, , 

 fond of climbing over and tugging at the clothes, 

 buttons, and hair of their master or mistress* They 

 appear to be more intelligent than most birds, and 

 in a domestic state resemble the Magpie. I knew 

 one tame Cuckoo that would carry off and jealously 

 conceal bits of bright-coloured ribbon, thread, or 

 cloth* In a wild state their food consists largely of 

 insects, which they sometimes pursue running and 

 flying along the ground. They also prey on mice 

 and small reptiles, and carry off the fledglings from 



