418 Henry Durnford’s last 
we met with a very hospitable old Tucumano, who gave us 
the use of one of his sheds for sleeping. I went out and shot 
three birds and skinned them. Jay, called “ Urraco,” com- 
mon, one skinned ; it has a variety of notes, varying from a 
screech toashout. Crested Sparrows, two skinned, very com- 
mon about the low hedges; they have a peculiar loud and 
jarring note and go in flocks, appear to prefer thick cover to 
open ground. Some other Buenos-Ayres birds seen here 
are :—Columbula picui and Tinnunculus sparverius, common 
everywhere; Cinclodes fuscus, scarce, near the river; Sycalis 
luteola, very common about trees and shrubs; Paroaria 
cucullata and Fluvicola albiventris, common everywhere ; also 
Myiarchus tyrannulus. 
June 1. The morning looked very threatening when I 
awoke about 7 a.m., and I determined to wait a little to see 
if it would clear up ; but finding it still cloudy at 10 I started, 
and we slept that night about six leagues from our rancho. 
The road, as far as we travelled, is exceedingly pretty, and 
towards dusk we approached close to the Sierras. On the 
journey I shot three birds called “ Cursor” (Arg. ‘ Chuiia”’) : 
two seen on the road today frequenting stony ground, and one 
shot; not common: saw no more. Jay, a long-tailed one, 
shot today in the monte, and two more seen. Woodpecker, 
one shot and skinned. 
The road all the time runs through thick woods. We pass 
very few passengers on horseback or muleback, but several 
troops of “mulas cargadas” and “ carros,” also bullock- 
waggons. I had hoped to reach Vipos by dark; but finding 
it impossible, and the night very misty, we slept on the 
campo. 
June 2. Wemade an early start and reached Vipos about 
9a.m. We have been ascending some low Sierras for the 
last few miles, and the view looking down on Vipos, situated, 
or rather buried, amongst numerous Sierras, is very fine. 
The village takes its name from a river flowing about E. and 
W. from the Sierras. I determined to remain here some 
days, and accordingly went to the posta of the diligencia, 
and there I found a very obliging landlord, who allowed me 
