1920.] Cope San An/.oiiio, Buenos Ayres. 27 



tlic cooking-trouble involved. And at tlie l)ack of all is an 

 iiilicrent idea that the employer is trying to save his cattle 

 and sheep by the offer of a substitute — is defrauding them 

 in short. Accordingly, whilst I could make use of a large 

 quantity of tish or game at the herd-station, where the 

 cooks were under my orders and tliere was a large staff and 

 still greater })eonada, my appeals to the shepherds when 

 tiiey came for their meat — to " take all the birds they liked, 

 in addition to ih^iv free raeat-i-ations " — were of little or no 

 effect. 



To return from this digression : — 



It might have been expected that the Brown Pintail 

 would be a regular breeder in the locality, aiul that to a 

 considerable extent. But such is by no means the case. 

 I had passed twenty-five years at the Yngleses without 

 recording an authentic occurrence ; aiul if, since then, I 

 have been more fortunate. I am utterly at a loss to account 

 for the previous hiatus. In 1898 I took my first nests, 

 noting (in November) that the species was '^ very abundant, 

 and nesting genei'ally." The following year only produced 

 for me three clutches. There is then a gap until 1904', wlien 

 nests were very numerous. During subsequent springs I 

 was much away from Aj6, but 1913 found me again begin- 

 ning to lecord " various nests. ^' Most of the seasons above 

 alluded to were of miich water and correspondingly rank 

 herbage suitable for nesting-covert ; but tliere had been 

 similar springs previously, notably that of 1877 ; while two 

 nests taken in 1909 (drought) were situated in the bare 

 ()[)en ean»p with no shelter or protection. The parent bii'd, 

 as mentioned by Claude Grant, sits very close, and con- 

 sequently is rather startling to one's horse when it rises. 

 My earliest date is the 3rd of October, the latest 30th 

 of November : most of the nests occurring in the last- 

 named month. With the exception of three taken in the 

 Rincones and situated amongst esparto, all my notes refer 

 to "'a hollow amongst grass, preferably upon an island in 

 the swamps." In one such place there may be various 

 nests, placed within a few yards of each other. The hollow 



