1920.] Cape San Antonio, Buenos Ayres. 47 



by the excavated earth beiug embanked fifty yards back from 

 the edge on each side ; and in abnormally wet seasons^ not 

 only was the canal itself full, but this no man's land also, 

 or at least a jungle of water, mud, and rushes. It can be 

 imagined, therefore, what an ornithological panorama un- 

 folded itself to my 'eyes during the long journey of fifty or 

 sixty miles, surely as lonely as one of our great cafiadones. 

 An occasional shanty at the greater side-sluices, and perhaps 

 once or twice a horseman silhouetted against the sky as he 

 picked his way along the outer embankment which shut in 

 ray view, were the only indications of human life from early 

 morning to nearly sundown. Beyond on either hand, but 

 hidden from me, was, as I knew, the flooded pampas ; in 

 front and behind stretched the lane of water and rushes to 

 the very horizon. The number and variety of Waterfowl 

 was extraordinary ; and these, taken by surprise as the 

 smooth-running and noiseless launch slipped through them, 

 either gave way or dived (it was comical to see such birds as 

 -the Cormorant and Great Grebe, busy witii their avocations, 

 dive hurriedly at almost arm's length, to re-appear astern in 

 an utterly demoralised condition) ; or hurriedly flew and 

 scuttled into the adjacent covert — few passed over the 

 embankment. Amidst many notes I took, was the census 

 of the Coots. The Yellow-billed kind was uncountable 

 (" in myriads "), and of course unmistakable. The other two 

 species, under the above circumstances, could not escape 

 identification, and I jotted down twelve of the Red-fronted 

 birds. The largest of the family, the Red-gartered Coot, 

 did not furnish a single individual. 



The one note I have heard produced by the Red-fronted 

 Coot, Avhen one happened to souse into the water near me, 

 consisted of a cackling laugh. 



Seven authentic nests (all taken in the year 1898), date 

 between the 2nd and 20th of December. These were 

 generally of slight structure, but cup-shaped ; and placed in 

 the shelter of the rushes. The material used was almost 

 invariably dry water-grasses. The clutch ranges from four 

 to seven, the majority being of six. 



