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BIRDS ABOUT BUENOS AIRES.


By R. A. Todd.


Having recently returned from a visit to the Argentine

Republic, I feel it rather in the nature of a duty to communicate

to the Magazine some notes of such observations as I was able

to make on the birds of that distant region. I must premise,

however, that my limited time there being rather fully occupied

with business matters, my opportunities were very scant and I

was only able to make two or three short expeditions outside the

city of Buenos Aires. On this account the list of birds referred

to will be found decidedly meagre, and it must not be supposed

that the avifauna of the district is correspondingly limited, but

that the times of quiet and prolonged observation so necessary

to effect a close acquaintance with bird life were largely denied

to me. The country generally is exceedingly flat, and but

slightly elevated above the level of the Rio de la Plata, which,

above Buenos Aires, divides into several branches, these

branches again running in many subsidiary channels or creeks.

Copses of Willow and Erythrina often line the watersides, and

on the drier grass lands may be seen here and there small clumps

of trees, usually Eucalyptus. Along the smaller creeks and

tributaries are usually extensive beds of water plants and rushes,

the latter growing some 12 feet high. About the Tigre, a branch

of the Plata, are large orchards of Apple, Pear, Peach, Orange,

and Lemon trees, the banks of the river being occasionally lined

with tall and massive Poplars among the Willows. The

character of the country, however, is generally bare and treeless ;

I should mention, though, that in the immediate neighbourhood

of Buenos Aires planting has been somewhat extensive, and

besides many large shady gardens there are along the railway

line to the town of La Plata several fair-sized woods principal^

of Eucalyptus.


Lying in about 34 0 S. lat., the climate is warm ; even slight

frost is exceptional in the winter, while in the hottest month

the thermometer may even register 100 9 F. in the shade, but this

is unusual.


One of the most striking features of bird-life is the immense

abundance of Carrion Hawks in the neighbourhood of the

meat factories. These consist apparently of two species, one a

large black eagle-like bird, the other decidedly smaller and of a

generally greyish brown colour, exterior parts of the wings

dirty white, respectively called Carancho and Chimango. The



