Cape San Antonio, Buenos Ayres. 13 
cimens show a variation in length of from 125 to 1,%, but 
otherwise present no noteworthy peculiarity. 
I once saw two or three young, full-fledged, which had 
been taken from the nest. They were quickly tamed, and 
used to sit in the warm sun and look out for red ants, but, 
unfortunately, did not live long. 
19. GEOSITTA CUNICULARIA. 
This is a most common bird in the campo or plains, to 
which it is confined, though one may notice it about the 
borders of any wood also, should there be a biscachero situated 
near. It has a trick of rising in front of one, flying a few 
yards, and alighting again—a performance which it continues 
to repeat in a manner that soon makes its dull uninteresting 
appearance familiar to a stranger. I don’t think I ever saw 
more than one pair frequenting any biscachero ; nor is it ever 
gregarious in its habits. The flight is fairly quick and strong, 
but never prolonged ; and it chooses the ground to alight on 
in preference to trees or thistles. There its attitude is upright, 
and in gait &c. it approaches nearer the Thrushes. From 
this, and the reddish hue of the plumage, I have often taken 
it at the first glance for the Red Oven-bird (Furnarius rufus) . 
From never haying dissected a specimen, I am unable to 
state the nature of its food; nor yet have I ever observed it 
feeding in the camp. 
Breeding-Notes.—G. cunicularia is one of our earliest- 
breeding birds, eggs being usually taken in the first half of 
September, the range extending from the 28th of August to 
the 5th of November, according to my notes. On the 16th 
of August I have seen the excavation of a nest begun. This 
(with us at least) is invariably situated in the brow of one of 
the burrows of a biscachero (colony of Lagostomus trichodac- 
tylus) ; and as a new one is made every year, it is often diffi- 
cult to tell which hole to open up. The passage varies in 
length from two to four feet, with a slight downward ten- 
dency, and terminates in a cavity shaped like a cocoa-nut, 
but a little larger. This is prepared for the reception of the 
eggs by a pile or cushion of soft dry grass, sometimes very 
