iSS^]. Barrows ov Birds of the Lozver Uruguay. I 39 



VVhclt becomes of these birds in summer I do not know. None 

 were met with on the jDampas during our trip, though another 

 species {^M. rujiventris') ., which only visits Concepcion in win- 

 ter, was abundant about tlie Ventana in March. 



51. Tsenioptera dominicana {VieilL). — At Concepcion 

 this bird does not occur. It was first seen as we approached the 

 Pampean Sierras. Here among the stalks of the drying thistles, 

 or on the tops of the beautiful pampas grass, it was frequently 

 seen. It has an undulating flight which, taken in connection 

 with its black and white dress, at once suggested a Shrike in 

 unusually fine plumage. At this time (February 4, 1881) they 

 were only seen in pairs or little family parties, were almost 

 silent, and in ragged plumage ; but late in March, on the Pigu6, 

 we found them in large, scattering flocks, which collected in one 

 place toward evening, and went through with a series of aerial 

 evolutions accompanied with vocal exercises of a varied and 

 entertaining kind, lasting half an hour or more. 



I presume this was in preparation for their northward (or 

 westward.?) migration, as we did not see them again after leav- 

 ing this spot, though equally favorable localities were visited. 



52. Taenioptera irupero {VieilL). Viuda ; Viudita 

 (Widow; Little Widow). — The snowy plumage of this 

 little bird, only the outer wing feathers and the tip of the tail 

 being black, makes it one of the first birds noticed in going into 

 the country. The name Little Widow, by which it is every- 

 where known, is very appropriate, though the black edgings are 

 not very conspicuous at a -little distance, and I have been fre- 

 quently assured by sportsmen and even by gauchos that there 

 was a bird on the pampas called Novia (Bride) which was of 

 milky whiteness without a single touch of other color. 



At Concepcion this species is resident through the year. It 

 was not met with further south than Azul, but at Carhu6 I 

 heard of the "Novia" as a common bird in summer. 



The nest is built very early in the season, often, I think, by 

 the middle of August, judging from the condition of old birds 

 taken then. On August 30, 1880, I saw a pair building a nest, 

 largely of feathers, in the hollow limb of a dead tree, and I 

 afterwards saw others in similar places. I never saw the eggs 

 but was told that they were pure white and unspotted. From 

 statements from another source I had reason to believe that the 



