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thrown out from the crater. The length of the bird is inches.

The head, back and upper part of the breast are smoky dove

colour, much darker towards the rump, and the under parts a

very light dove colour. The tail and wings are black, the

primaries being very finely margined with white on the outer

edge near the tips. The shoulders are pure white and look very

conspicuous when flying. The most curious thing about the

bird is the bright primrose coloured bare spot it has between

the beak and the eye which fades when the bird is dead. This

dove ranges through the mountains at high altitudes from

Central America down to Chili.


I can hardly leave out the White-tailed Solitario Agriornis

solitaria from this article, as they are to be seen about on the

house tops and in the gardens throughout Quito, and they at

once attract attention by their loud liquid notes. They nest

under the tiles of the houses, in the thatch of the huts, in

Church towers and also in trees. If I had time I might consider¬

ably extend the number of birds from these regions suitable for

captivity, for I can think of more than double the number I have

already mentioned which equally claim attention. I have said

nothing of the Grallarias which may be seen hopping about

under the hedges, especially under the bushes on the slopes of

Pichincha, G. squamigera, hypoleuca and monticola being among

the more notable ones. They would look extremely nice in a

large garden aviary. Then there are those miniature Owls, the

Glaucidium jardinii which sit and blink outside their burrows or

on the ledges of rocks all day ; neither have I time to treat of

any of the members of the genus Catamenia and also Phrygilus

which one meets with in flocks, and all of which are eminently

suited to cage life, being seed eaters. I think though, I have

said enough to show how many interesting birds there are well-

adapted to stand our climate, and of which unfortunately at

present we know so little. As I have said before, it is a pity

that in many cases the regions they come from are so difficult of

access, that under present circumstances we are debarred from

obtaining them, but if any readers of these pages should feel

tempted to visit Ecuador, these notes may be of use to them in

indicating the birds most suitable to look out for, and the

localities where to find them.



(To be ContmuedJ.



