362 FLAMINGOES, DUCKS, AND SCREAMERS. 



with a whitish tip, the horn whitish grey, and the foot ashy grey. The second 

 genus, Chauiia, has no horn on the head, and is represented by the crested 

 screamer, or chaja (C chavaria) of Argentina, and the Derbian screamer 

 {C derbiana) of Colombia. In the former the general colour of the plumage is 

 ilaty blue, with a black ring round the neck, while the naked skin round the eyes 

 and the legs are red. According to Mr. W. H. Hudson, to whom we are indebted 

 for a good account of the Argentine species, these birds only utter their powerful 

 scream of alarm occasionally ; while during the night, or when soaring high in the 

 air, they give vent to somewhat melodious notes, audible when the birds are too 

 high up to be visible. " At certain times," writes the author just mentioned, " in 

 districts favourable to them, the chajds often assemble in immense flocks, thousands 

 of individuals being sometimes seen congregated together ; and in these gatherings 

 the birds often all sing in concert. They invariably — though without rising — 

 sing at intervals throughout the night, ' counting the hours,' as the Gauchos say, 

 the first song being about nine o'clock, the second at midnight, and the third just 

 before dawn, but the hours vary in different districts." Although living for 

 a considerable part of the year in large flocks, the screamers pair for life, and 

 during the breeding-season are only to be seen in couples. The chajd (pronounced 

 chaha), or Argentine species, breeds among the rushes of lagoons, and during a 

 visit to Argentina in 1893, I had, while staying at the estancia of Las Bandurrias, 

 near Colina, on the Great Southeni Railway of Buenos Aires, the opportunity of 

 observing the habits of a pair which were nesting in a small laguna a couple 

 of miles or so from the house. The laguna in question contained large growths of 

 reeds and flags, forming masses intersected by open channels, and at the time of 

 my visit (the latter part of October) growing to a considerable height above the 

 water. Like other similar spots in this part of Argentina, it was tenanted by 

 large flocks of ducks and coots, while black-necked swans, small parties of the 

 lovely red South-American flamingo, and a few storks were generally also to be 

 seen. On my first visit to the laguna, for the purpose of duck-shooting, I was 

 puzzled by seeing a pair of large grey birds, with short beaks, and looking some- 

 what like huge grey geese, swimming about unconcernedly among the other 

 denizens of the lagoon, since I had not the least idea such was the habit of the 

 chajd. On wading into the water, and approaching the birds, I was, however, soon 

 convinced, both from their appearance and voice, that they were really chajds. 

 They allowed me to approach within easy gun-shot, when they rose heavily and 

 flapped slowly to the bank, where they alighted. That they had a nest among the 

 reeds in the middle of the laguna I felt assured, but the depth of water prevented 

 my wading to the spot. I had, however, reason to believe that the young were 

 already hatched and swimming about among the reeds, so that, had I succeeded in 

 reaching the nest, my labour would have been in vain. As soon as I reached the 

 shore, the chaj^ once more returned to the water, and recommenced swimming 

 about among the ducks. During several subsequent visits to the same spot, I 

 nearly always saw the birds swimming far out in the water ; and, indeed, I think 

 it was only once or twice that I observed them on land. It is therefore evident 

 that during the nesting-season this pair of chajas should be described as thoroughly 

 aquatic in their habits. 



