Paraguay, Bulivia, and Southern Brazil. 131 



ashy edges to the feathers, and the February birds are 

 moulting. 



The young in December were taken from the nest. 



The throat-patch varies from pale sulphur-yellow to deep 

 cinnamon ; in most specimens each feather has a black 

 centre at the tip, in others this is entirely wanting. 



The young bird taken in March is fully fledged, and differs 

 from the adults as follows : — 



" Margins of back and wing-feathers much broader than 

 in the adult and more buffy; gular patch faint ; throat and 

 neck finely speckled ; breast and flanks with broad black 

 centres to each feather.'^ 



A common species which frequents the open grass country, 

 where it is skulking in habits and reluctantly takes to 

 flight. 



The nest is difficult to find, owing to the bird sneaking off 

 and hiding in the grass ; it is placed on the ground in thick 

 grass and is a dome-shaped structure of dead grass, lined 

 with feathers. 



In both nests that I secured there were eggs of Molothrus 

 bonariensis. 



119. SiPTORNIS MALUROIDES. 



Siptornis maluroides Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 72 ; Arg. Orn. i. 

 p. 188. 



a. $ ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 17, 1908. 



b. $ young. Luiconia, Ajo. Jan, 8, 1909. 



c. ? young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan, 6, 1909. 



d. e. S ad. & yg. „ „ Feb. 7, 1909. 

 /, g. i ad. & yg. „ „ Feb. 10, 1910. 

 Irides very pale yellow; bill, upper mandible dark, lower 



pale horn-coloured ; legs and toes pale horn-coloured. 

 The adult of February 1909 is moulting. 

 The young birds differ from the adults as follows : — 

 '' Forehead and middle of crown fulvous brown, slightly 



striated with blackish ; beneath pale buff, striations on flanks 



less distinct than in the adult and the black specklings of 



the throat and chest more numerous," 



k2 



