80 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



is not easily procured owing to its keeping to the centre of 

 the bushes it frequents. It is never met with in large 

 woods, but always in clumps of brushwood and similar 

 situations. 



Clutch of two eggs taken 28th November 1886, another 

 of three eggs taken 15th October 1887, and a third of 

 four esffTS taken 13th November 1887. These are oval in 

 shape, of a very light cream colour, and devoid of markings. 

 They average in size 1 by ff inch. 



The nest, like others of the family of Thorn birds, is com- 

 posed of a great mass of twigs, formed with two chambers, 

 and laid horizontally, the inner or nesting one being lined 

 with hair, fine roots, and feathers. It is placed in a bush at 

 the extremity of a branch about 6 feet from the ground. 



8. Xiphocolaptes major (VieilL). Chesnut Wood Hewer. 

 Local name Ypecu {Trepadore grande. Azara). — This species, 

 whose habits somewhat resemble those of our Creeper, is 

 found in Bolivia, the hottest part of the Argentine Eepublic, 

 and Paraguay. It is common in the forests of these regions, 

 where it may be seen rapidly running up the clear stem of 

 a tree to the top, and thence flying to the base of another to 

 repeat the same performance. In this they are much aided 

 by the stiff bristly feathers of the tail, and by their strong 

 and sharply hooked claws. 



Clutch of three eggs taken on 14th November 1887 from 

 a nest in a hole in a tree, several feet from the ground ; 

 another of two eggs from a similar position, taken on 25th 

 November. These are of a dull white colour, with a rough 

 surface, the shell being coarse in the grain, and are of a 

 blunted oval form. The largest measures 1-1% by l-£^ inches, 

 and the smallest 1-J^ by 1 inch. The nests contained no 

 lining save a few fragments of the wood left in the process 

 of excavation. 



9. Ghrysoptilus Cristatus (VieilL). Eed Crested Wood- 

 pecker. The local name of this bird is also Ypecu, under 

 which the various woodpeckers are known {Carpintcro verde 

 negro. Azara). — Its nest and eggs have already been de- 

 scribed in my notes on Uruguay. 



1 0. Colaptes campestris (VieilL). Local name " Ypecu " 



