.833.] THE OVEN-BIRD. 9fl 



The genus Furnarius contains several species, all small birds, 

 living on the ground, and inhabiting open dry countries. In 

 structure they cannot be compared to any European form. Or- 

 nithologists have generally included them among the creepers, 

 although opposed to that family in every habit. The best known 

 species is the common oven-bird of La Plata, the Casara or 

 housemaker of the Spaniards. The nest, whence it takes its 

 name, is placed in the most exposed situations, as on the top of 

 a post, a bare rock, or on a cactus. It is composed of mud and 

 bits of straw, and has strong thick walls : in shape it precisely 

 resembles an oven, or depressed beehive. The opening is large 

 and arched, and directly in front, within the nest, there is a 

 partition, which reaches nearly to the roof, thus forming a passage 

 or antechamber to the true nest. 



Another and smaller species of Furnarius (F. cunicularius), 

 resembles the oven-bird in the general reddish tint of its plu- 

 mage, in a peculiar shrill reiterated cry, and in an odd manner 

 of running by starts. From its affinity, the Spaniards call it 

 Casarita (or little housebuilder), although its nidification is 

 quite different. The Casarita builds its nest at the bottom of a 

 narrow cylindrical hole, which is said to extend horizontally to 

 nearly six feet under ground. Several of the country people 

 told me, that when boys, they had attempted to dig out the nest, 

 but had scarcely ever succeeded in getting to the end of the 

 passage. The bird chooses any low bank of firm sandy soil by 

 the side of a road or stream. Here (at Bahia Blanca) the walls 

 round the houses are built of hardened mud ; and I noticed that 

 one, which enclosed a courtyard where I lodged, was bored 

 through by round holes in a score of places. On asking the 

 owner the cause of this, he bitterly complained of the little 

 casarita, several of which I afterwards observed at work. It is 

 rather curious to find how incapable these birds must be of ac- 

 quiring any notion of thickness, for although they were con- 

 stantly flitting over the low wall, they continued vainly to 

 bore through it, thinking it an excellent bank for their nests. I 

 do not doubt that each bird, as often as it came to daylight on 

 the opposite side, was greatly surprised at the marvellous fact. 



I have already mentioned nearly all the mammalia common 

 in this country. Of armadilloes three species occur, namely, 



