Mr DaUjleislh on Birds and Eggs from Central Uruguay. 233 



It is of the second of these, or the southern division only, 

 that we have any full and satisfactory account of its natural 

 productions, it having been visited by the eminent natu- 

 ralists Auguste St Hilaire, D'Orbigny, and Darwin, and later 

 by Burmeister, the two last of whom also visited a portion 

 of the lower Eio Negro Valley. The eastern district has 

 only been glanced at in a cursory manner by St Hilaire. 

 Of the remaining divisions we know but little. 



I have lately received, from a correspondent residing in the 

 province of Durazno, which is situated in the largest or 

 central of the divisions above alluded to, a small collection 

 of eggs, accompanied by the skins of the parent birds, and 

 I am much indebted to JMessrs Sclater and Salvin for having 

 kindly identified the latter for me. 



Before, however, describing these in detail, I may, in a 

 few words, give a description of the immediate district from 

 which they have been sent. 



The Estancia de la Tala, where my correspondent resides, 

 and in the neighbourhood of which the specimens to be de- 

 scribed were collected, formerly formed part of an extensive 

 property, known by the name of San Jorge, whose topo- 

 graphy and botany have recently been described by Dr 

 Christison, and to whose papers on these subjects, and on the 

 meteorology of the district, I would refer.* 



San Jorge is situated, as above mentioned, in the province 

 of Durazno, and on the south of the Eio Negro of Uruguay, 

 a little to the north of latitude 33° south, and measures 

 about 26 miles from east to west, by li from north to south. 

 The height of the district above the sea-level has recently 

 been ascertained by Mr Hall of San Jorge to be about 400 

 feet. The rocks are generally of volcanic origin, and in the 

 neighbourhood of the river Tala amygdaloidal, abounding in 

 chalcedony, opal, etc., specimens of which have been sent me. 

 The soil is a black stiff clay. The climate is healthy, but 

 subject to droughts, or " secas," sometimes of several months 



* Trans, and Proc. Botan. Soc. Edin., xiii., p. 242. 



Proc. Royal Geograph. Soc, and jMonthly Record of Geography., Nov. 1880, 

 vol. ii. , new monthly series, p. 663. 



Journal Scottish ^leteorol. Society, vol. v., ]>p. 239-335. 



