﻿486 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  H. 
  Holland 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  

  

  descending, 
  the 
  body 
  being 
  horizontal. 
  At 
  otlicr 
  times 
  lie 
  

   chases 
  the 
  female 
  for 
  a 
  comparatively 
  long 
  distance, 
  flying 
  

   fairly 
  fast 
  in 
  a 
  horizontal 
  line 
  with 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  tail 
  

   stretched 
  out 
  and 
  resembling 
  a 
  thick 
  arrow. 
  In 
  habits 
  the 
  

   male 
  is 
  rather 
  bold, 
  while 
  the 
  female 
  and 
  young 
  are 
  shy. 
  

   They 
  are 
  always 
  quietly 
  moving 
  about, 
  flying 
  from 
  one 
  

   clump 
  of 
  herbage 
  to 
  another, 
  catching 
  insects 
  as 
  they 
  pass- 
  

   The 
  webbed 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  tail-feathers 
  is 
  always 
  carried 
  

   uppermost, 
  the 
  bare 
  side 
  being 
  below. 
  

  

  The 
  nest 
  is 
  cup-shaped, 
  placed 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  under 
  a 
  tuft 
  

   of 
  grass, 
  and 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  dry 
  grass 
  and 
  lined 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  

   feathers. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  three 
  in 
  number, 
  of 
  a 
  pure 
  pale 
  

   cream 
  -colour; 
  they 
  are 
  blunt 
  and 
  brittle. 
  

  

  8. 
  Hapalocercus 
  flaviventris 
  (Arg. 
  Orn. 
  i. 
  p. 
  137). 
  

   Fairly 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  reeds, 
  where 
  it 
  breeds. 
  It 
  arrives 
  in 
  

  

  September, 
  and 
  departs 
  in 
  February. 
  Iris 
  hazel. 
  

  

  9. 
  Habrura 
  pectoralis 
  (Arg. 
  Orn. 
  i. 
  p. 
  138). 
  

  

  Fairly 
  common, 
  arriving 
  in 
  October 
  and 
  departing 
  in 
  

   February. 
  These 
  birds 
  inhabit 
  the 
  quinta, 
  and 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  

   restless 
  disposition 
  before 
  nesting, 
  constantly 
  hurrying 
  from 
  

   one 
  weed-stalk 
  to 
  another 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  insects. 
  They 
  prefer 
  

   long 
  grass 
  and 
  weeds, 
  and, 
  as 
  their 
  flight 
  is 
  very 
  low 
  and 
  

   straight, 
  are 
  hard 
  to 
  perceive. 
  They 
  live 
  in 
  pairs, 
  and 
  during 
  

   the 
  breeding-season 
  the 
  male 
  is 
  most 
  pugnacious, 
  driving 
  

   away 
  from 
  his 
  nesting-place 
  any 
  stranger 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   species 
  in 
  a 
  most 
  determined 
  way. 
  On 
  one^s 
  approaching 
  the 
  

   nesting-place 
  the 
  male 
  has 
  a 
  peculiar 
  habit 
  of 
  rushing 
  ujj 
  into 
  

   the 
  air 
  some 
  20 
  feet, 
  making 
  a 
  loud 
  whirring 
  noise 
  (with 
  its 
  

   wings, 
  I 
  fancy) 
  to 
  intimidate 
  the 
  intruder 
  ; 
  at 
  other 
  times 
  it 
  

   is 
  very 
  shy 
  and 
  easily 
  escapes 
  observation. 
  

  

  This 
  bird 
  breeds 
  at 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  November; 
  the 
  nest 
  

   is 
  cup-shaped, 
  placed 
  some 
  inches 
  off 
  the 
  ground 
  in 
  a 
  clump 
  

   of 
  weeds, 
  several 
  stalks 
  being 
  interwoven 
  in 
  the 
  structure, 
  

   bv 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  suspended. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  minute 
  bit 
  of 
  work, 
  being 
  

   1 
  in. 
  X 
  1^ 
  in. 
  deep 
  in 
  internal 
  measurement, 
  and 
  composed 
  

   of 
  fine 
  rootlets 
  thickly 
  lined 
  and 
  interwoven 
  with 
  grass- 
  

   down, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  white 
  appearance. 
  It 
  is 
  far 
  superior 
  

   to 
  most 
  nests 
  in 
  its 
  firmness 
  and 
  beauty. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  three 
  

  

  