Q2 Barrows on Birds of the Loxver Uruguay. [April 



time without hearing the hearty voice — more emphatic perhaps 

 than beautiful — but you might often row on for miles without a 

 single glimpse of the bird himself. 



He stays all winter at Concepcion and doubtless breeds there 

 during the summer, but the nest and eggs were not taken. 



22. Guiraca glaucoceerulea {Lafr. & d' Orb.). — Not un- 

 common during spring and summer, with habits and song much 

 resembling those of our Indigo Bird, which it so nearly approaches 

 in plumage. Of its nesting habits I am ignorant, though it cer- 

 tainly breeds about Concepcion. 



23. Spermophila cserulescens Vieill. Corbatita (Lit- 

 tle Cravat, in allusion to the black collar and white band above 

 it) . — Early in November these birds arrive in Concepcion from 

 the north and soon become very common everywhere, but seem 

 to prefer bushes, hedges, and tall weeds. 



During the first week in December many nests were found 

 which occasionally contained but one egg each, and never more 

 than two, which seemed to be the normal number. The nests 

 were very neat affairs, made entirely of fine grass, roots, and 

 hair ; so closely woven as to be very strong, yet so thin and 

 delicate that the eggs could often be seen through the bottom. 

 The nest was sometimes placed in a mass of fine twigs to which 

 it was bound, but oftener it was only fastened to three or four 

 vertical twigs which passed through its rim, thus making the 

 nest semi-pensile. Rarely was it more than four feet from the 

 ground. The eggs were white with dark flecks. Late in the 

 summer the birds gather into loose flocks or small parties and 

 turn northward again. 



24. Spermophila palustris sp. nov. 



Adult male: breeditig ;plui7iage. Above, from bill to rump, clear bluish- 

 ash ; below, from bill to middle of breast, including lower eyelid, ear- 

 coverts, and sides of neck, pure white; rest of under parts, rump, and 

 most of upper tail-coverts, bright cinnamon-brown. Wings and tail 

 brownish-black edged with whitish; inner secondaries deep black, their 

 tips and outer edges broadly white (pure in highest plumage, at other 

 times soiled or even rusty) ; a white patch across the base of all the 

 primaries except the first two. Bill and feet black; iris dark. Length, 

 about 4.50 inches ; extent, about 7.00; wing, about 2. iS; tail, about 1.70. 



In some individuals, even in high plumage, the ashy feathers of the 

 back show blackish centres. 



Adult female: breeding plumage. Above, uniform greenish-olive ob- 

 scurely streaked with dusky; below, light yellowish-buff; wings and 



