18/2.] MR. W. H. HUDSON ON PATAGONIAN BIRDS. 545 



20. [Homorus gutturalis (Lafr. et D'Orb.). — P. L. S.] 



This homely and interesting bird is, perhaps, a new species ; it 

 resembles the Homorus unirufus of the northern states of La Plata ; 

 but it is of a paler brown, and the eye is dark instead of white as 

 in that species. It frequents open plains abounding in low, thorny, 

 and widely scattered bushes, and on the approach of a traveller 

 shows itself on the summit of a bush, with crest erect, and uttering 

 a succession of sharp, augry chirps ; it also has, when much alarmed, 

 a shrill, trilling scream like that of the H. unirufus. They are 

 seen in pairs or in families of five or six individuals at intervals 

 during the day ; the male and female perform a chorus of notes 

 so powerful that they may be heard distinctly a mile away. Its flight 

 is low and feeble ; but it runs very rapidly on the ground, and 

 subsists principally on insects extracted from the earth, and decayed 

 bark about the roots of trees and shrubs. This bird builds a nest 

 extraordinary for its size and strength ; it is placed in the middle of 

 a low, thorny, and widely spreading bush ; it is perfectly round, the 

 lower part just raised only a few inches above the ground ; the depth 

 of the whole nest is usually from 4 to 6 feet, the cavity inside is 

 1 foot in depth. The opening is on the side and small, and has 

 in front of it a narrow arched gallery resting on the horizontal twigs, 

 and 13 or 14 inches in length. The nest is composed entirely of 

 thick sticks, and is so compactly built that I had hard work to 

 demolish one by thrusting the barrel of a long musket into it and 

 prizing it up by pieces. 1 also, to test the strength of a nest, stood 

 on one for some time, stamping my heel on it with great force, 

 without injuring it in the least. 



21. [Coltjmba maculosa, Tern m. — P. L. S.] 



This bird appears in winter in the settled parts of the Rio Ne- 

 gro ; they come in large flocks, and gather in great numbers on the 

 ploughed fields, eager to devour the wheat ; so that the farmers, 

 when sowing broadcast, have to be constantly firing at them, or to 

 keep trained dogs to chase them from the fields. When on the 

 ground, the flock keeps very much crowded together, all the birds 

 running about with great rapidity, and eagerly snatching up the 

 grain or seed they find. The lively, brisk manner of a Patagonian 

 Pigeon is in strong contrast with the slow, stately steps and deli- 

 berate manner of picking up its food of the Buenos- Ayrean species*. 

 Its song is composed of notes equal in length and number to that of 

 the Buenos-Ayrean bird ; but the voice of the former is exceedingly 

 hoarse, while that of the latter is the most agreeable dove-melody 

 I have ever heard. They retire on the approach of summer, and 

 probably breed in the vast forests of Western Patagonia. 



22. [Eudromia elegans, D'Orb. et Geoffr.— P. L. S.J 



I send several specimens of the Martineta, a handsome and in- 

 teresting bird. It is found in the north-western portion of 

 * i. e. Columha ■picazru.ro : v. Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 143. -P. L. S. 

 Proc. Zool. Soc— 1872, No. XXXY. 



