56 BIRDS OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO 



plumage of the male loses all its rich colour and assimilates to 

 that of the female. Of the second so-called species of this genus, 

 Phrygilus xanthogrammus, I know nothing, and I do not believe 

 it different from the former." 



Family ICTERIDiE 

 CURiEUS ATERRIMUS (Kittlitz) 



TurdUS CtirseuS, Molina, Saggio, Storia Naturale Chili, p. .345, 1782. 

 StlirnUS aterrimUS, Kittlitz, Mem. Acad. 8c. St. Petersh., p. 467, 



pi. ii, 1835. 

 PsaroCOlius CUrseuS, Gassin, U.S. Astron. Exp., ii, p. 178, pi. xv, 1855. 

 CuraeUS aterrimuS, Sclater, Gat. Birds Brit. Mus., xi, p. 354, 1886 ; 



Oustalet, Miss. Sci. Gap Horn, Ois., p. 101, 1891. 



Habitat. — Chili, Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. 



$ , San Sebastian Settlement, 4tli Oct., 1904. 

 Iris — greyish black ; bill and legs — black. 



The earliest British collector appears to be Capt. King, as 

 there is a specimen of his from Chili in the British Museum. 



Darwin does not record it, nor does Durnford. 



The Black Starling is a common bird in the scrub-covered 

 well-watered slopes of the Sierra Carmen Sylva, also in similar 

 country elsewhere. It is resident the entire year. 1 was sur- 

 prised to find some British settlers eating it in the belief that 

 it is a " Blackbird " — as of course it is, in colour at any 

 rate. Usually it is met with in companies of half-a-dozen or 

 more. It perches freely on bushes, and is a vociferous songster. 

 If one of a company takes wing, all follow ; and again congregate 

 closely, singing vigorously. They have a habit of coming to one 

 from a distance, and sometimes follow one in this way again 

 and again. This is nothing more than friendly curiosity ; for they 

 ahght quite close in the most confiding manner, and at once burst 

 out into song — one bird leading ofi^ and all joining in. 



On one occasion, I remember sitting down amongst scattered 

 bushes in a steep grassy valley to get my hand camera into 

 position to take a picture ; and, as I was waiting for the light to 



