58 BIRDS OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO 



The female is stated by Dr. Sclater to be similar in colouring 

 to the male. I have handled several, and they appear to me 

 generally paler in the scarlet of the head, breast, and wing — 

 in some cases almost white. 



The Military Starling is a conspicuous bird, being — as it is — 

 such a departure in colouring in a world where all else is generally 

 so subdued in tone. Scrub -covered hills and valleys and the out- 

 skirts of forest are its haunt. The scarlet breast is visible two 

 hundred yards away. The ordinary number seen is a pair, or at 

 most four or five together. It is very much a Starling in its 

 ways, also in its limited song. It runs hither and thither on 

 the ground, nodding and bobbing, feeding for dear life. The 

 flight is powerful but somewhat heavy. The song — if song it can 

 be called — is extraordinarily laboured. It is usually uttered from 

 a tree top or bush especially towards evening, and may be imitated 

 by inflating the lungs with air and expelling it through pursed-up 

 lips in a long drawn expiring whistle — " W-li-i-i : y-o-o-oT It 

 takes some effort on the part of the bird to deliver it : the throat 

 can be seen expanding thirty yards away. I found this Starling 

 unusually hard lived. It has the hardest cranium I have seen in 

 a bird of its size *, and a powerful bill, sharp claws, and tough skin. 

 Capt. Abbott says it is very common in the Falkland 

 Islands. " It sits on a bush," he adds, " and sings very sweetly on 

 a summer's morning. It begins to breed in the first week in 

 October. The nest is built amongst long grass or rushes. It is 

 rather deep, but open at the top, and not domed over, and 

 generally contains three eggs." 



Durnford says: — "It is of all birds, excepting water-birds 

 and reed-living birds, the surest indicator of the presence 

 of water in the thirsty plains of Patagonia, never being found 

 far from this element, and being consequently of great use to 

 travellers." 



There were several ticks {Ixodes tlioracicus)* on the head of 

 my second example. 



All specimens dissected by me contained coleoptera. 

 * Thus determined for me by Mr. A. S. Hirst. — R. C. 



