MAGUARI STORK 113 



heavy flappings and a loud qua-quo, cry. At sunset 

 they quit their retreat, to ascend a stream or seek 

 some distant feeding-ground, and travel with a slow 

 flight, bird succeeding bird at long intervals, and 

 uttering their far-sounding, hoarse, barking night-cry. 



Where the flock lives amongst the rushes, in places 

 where there are no trees, the birds, by breaking down 

 the rushes across each other, construct false nests or 

 platforms to perch on. These platforms are placed 

 close together, usually where the rushes are thickest, 

 and serve the birds for an entire winter. 



The breeding habits of the Night-Heron have 

 been described in the account of an Egrets' heronry* 



MAGUARI STORK 



Euxenura maguari 



Plumage white; wings and upper tail-coverts black; naked lores 

 and feet red ; bill horn-colour ; length 40, wing 20 inches. 



THE Maguari Stork is a well-known bird on the 

 pampas, breeding in the marshes, and also wading 

 for its food in the shallow water ; but it is not nearly 

 so aquatic in its habits as the Jabiru, and after the 

 breeding-season is over it is seen everywhere on the 

 dry plains. Here these birds prey on mice, snakes 

 and toads, but also frequently visit the cultivated 

 fields in quest of food. When mice or frogs are 

 exceptionally abundant on the pampas, the Storks 



H II 



