■7 I A Barrows on Birds of the Lotver Uruguay. [October 



iSS. Himantopus nigricoUis Vieill. Zancudo (Long- 

 legs). — Abundant at Concepcion only from March until August, 

 though a few linger later. At Azul, January 31, 1S81, it was 

 quite plenty in small flocks, and at Puan, March 28, 1881, a pair 

 or two were seen. Where it breeds I do not know. 



189. Gallinago paraguaise {Vieill.). Becasino (Snipe.?). 



— Extremely plenty at Concepcion during cold weather; less so 

 in summer, but many remain to breed. A set of three eggs was 

 taken September 16, 1880, and two eggs from another nest on Octo- 

 ber 12. Both nests were slight hollows in the ground, with a few 

 bits of straw and grass for lining. The eggs are as much like 

 those of G. wilsoni as are the birds themselves ; that is to say, 

 very similar indeed. During the winter the Snipe collected in 

 some of the marshes to the number of thousands, and often 

 twenty or thirty would rise at the ]-eport of the gun and circle 

 about in a loose flock before settling again. They were abun- 

 dant at Carhue early in April. 



190. Rhynchaea semicollaris {Vieill.). — This peculiar 

 bird, combining characters of both Snipe and Rail, is an abun- 

 dant resident at Concepcion wliere it breeds. 



On September r8, 1880, I found two sets of two eggs each, 

 laid without any attempt at a nest on the bare ground close to 

 the edge of a marsh. The eggs, which were much incubat,ed, were 

 of nearly the same size at both ends and resembled quite closel}', 

 both in shape and coloration, the eggs of our common Night- 

 hawk ( Chordiles virginianus) , the ground color being almost 

 obscured by a profusion of heavy dots and blotches of dark 

 brown and black. The sitting birds flew directly from the eggs 

 without any attempt to lead away from them. I usually found 

 these birds abundant in the same meadows with the Snipe, often 

 flushing both at the same time. 



191. Tringa fuscicollis Vieill. Mbatitui (Indian name). 

 — In small squads or large flocks at the same times and places as 

 the following species. 



192. Tringa maculata {Vieill.) MbatitJ (Indian name). 



— Common in flocks at Concepcion through the larger part of the 

 year, only absenting itself from the middle of November to the 

 middle of January, and even then a few may usually be found. 

 They are almost always in company with the preceding species, 

 often forming flocks of several hundred individuals. Where 



