618 MR. E. "W. WHITE ON BIRDS [JunC 20, 



138. Chrysoptilus cristatus (Vieill.). 



cJ. City of Catamarca, Arg. Rep., Aug. 16, 1880. 



2 . „ » ., Aug. 9, 1880. 



Iris brown. 



This beautiful red-crested Woodpecker is found over a great 

 stretch of country, as I observed them commonly in all parts of the 

 province of Catamarca, as well as in the sierras of Cordoba ; and I 

 believe they are occasionally met with as far south as Buenos 

 Aires. 



They fly in pairs, frequenting old trees ; and their note is exceedingly 

 shrill. 



139. LeUCONERPES CANDIDAS (Otto). 



cJ. San Javier, Misiones, Arg. Rep., June 10, 1881. 



5. Coucepcion, Misiones, Arg. Rep., June 21, 1881. 



Iris light blue. 



These noisy birds, abundant in various parts of Misiones as well as 

 the rest of the north of the Republic, go about in flocks of eight or 

 ten and settle on the same tree, which they proceed to ascend very 

 comically in a spiral or corkscrew fashion, each head touching the 

 preceding tail. They are not seen in dense forests, but only out in 

 the open, on some old, usually dead tree ; and I think I observed 

 them as far south as the sierras of Cordoba. 



140. CoLAPTES CAMPESTRis (Vieill.). 



(S . Concepcion, Misiones, Arg. Rep., June 27, 1881. 



$. „ „ „ June 23, 1881. 



Iris dark red. 



Very common inhabitants of the open campo, where they are 

 usually discovered, either on the ground, or more generally perched 

 on an ant-hill, two feet high, and constructed of such intensely 

 hard ferruginous clay as to admit of almost indefinite weight on the 

 top without disturbing its shape ; the tops of these they are 

 engaged in pecking. They very rarely take to a tree, and are never 

 observed in the woods. They fly in pairs ; but commonly a good 

 many pairs remain within call of each other. 



141. Trogon variegatus, Spix. 



d . Campo Colorado, Oran, Salta, Arg. Rep., Nov. 4, 1880. 



Iris brown. 



These birds are very rare here, and have a peculiar cry, which it is 

 impossible to describe otherwise than by saying that it resembles the 

 voice of a ventriloquist, very deceiving as to distance, and extremely 

 mournful. They frequent the topmost branches of the loftiest 

 forest-trees, and are very difficult to discover, as they sit motionless. 

 A Monte-Cristo rifle had not sufficient range to reach them. One 

 I shot on the banks of the Vermejo had some small fish-scales in its 

 crop. 



