1S83.] Barrows on Birds of the Lotver Uruguay. 8'^ 



place most of the observations recorded here were made, and 

 unless otherwise stated it will be understood that all notes refer 

 to obsei'vations made at Concepcion. 



The whole number of species taken here was rather less than 

 two hundred, but allowance must be made for the fact that only 

 a small part of the time spent here could be given to collecting, 

 and that not unfrequently entire weeks passed without any oppor- 

 tunity occurring for so much as an hour's tramp outside the town. 



During his entire stay here the writer was connected with the 

 Colegio Nacional, and it so happened that the times of greatest 

 activity at this institution usually coincided with those periods of 

 increased activity among the birds — the vernal migi'ations and 

 the breeding seasons. 



Excursions were made, it is true, to many points from ten to 

 thirty miles from the town, but these were not often possible, and 

 observations in the main were confined to the country lying di- 

 rectly about the town. 



Concepcion lies in about 32 J degi^ees south latitude, and the 

 range of temperature is from 100° Fahr. in January and Feb- 

 ruary (only observed on two or three occasions) to 38° or 40° in 

 May and June. Yet heavy frosts frequently occur during these 

 two latter months and April, while a change of wind to the north 

 may, even in mid-winter, make the weather oppressively hot dur- 

 ing the day. 



The region about Concepcion shows considerable diversity of 

 surface, but no hills, and no heavy woods of any extent. Rolling 

 grass-land or prairie alternates with cultivated farm or sterile 

 sand-waste where only the dwarf acacia and spiny cactus seem 

 to thrive. Wherever a stream is struggling for existence a few 

 trees and bushes may be found extending in mute sympathy their 

 scanty foliage, and if we follow such a stream till it emerges into 

 the flood-plain of the river we may find the remains of what were 

 once goodly forests of swamp-loving trees — now decimated by 

 the charcoal-burners in their efforts to meet the demands for fuel 

 of a land practically without mineral coal and in large measure 

 treeless. 



By no means all this flood-plain is wooded, and while unmo- 

 lested tracts of swamp forest still exist, they are yearly lessening 

 in number and extent. And there are vast treeless marshes also 

 where water-birds and mammals have things all their own way 



