GEOSITTA CUNICULARIA 73 



Furnarius constantly haunts the driest and most open districts ; 

 and hence sand-dunes near the coast afford it a favourite 

 resort. In La Plata, in Northern Patagonia, and in Central Chili, 

 it is abundant : in the former country it is called Casarita, a name 

 which has evidently been given from its relationship with the 

 Casaro, or Furnarius rufus^ for, as we shall see, its nidiiication is 

 very different. It is a very tame, most quiet, solitary little bird, 

 and hke the English Robin {Sylvia rtcbecola), it is usually most 

 active early in the morning and late in the evening. When 

 disturbed it flies only to a short distance ; it is fond of dusting 

 itself on the roads ; it walks and runs (but not very quickly), 

 and generally by starts. I opened the stomachs of some, and 

 found in them remains of coleoptera, and chiefly Carahidce. At 

 certain seasons it frequently utters a peculiar, shrill but gentle, 

 reiterated cry, which is so quickly repeated as to produce one 

 running sound. In this respect, and in its manner of walking 

 on the ground, and in its food, this species closely resembles the 

 Casaro, but in its quiet manners it differs widely from that active 

 bird. Its nidification is likewise different, for it builds its nest 

 at the bottom of a narrow cylindrical hole, which is said to 

 extend horizontally to nearly six feet under ground. Several 

 of the country people told me that when boys they had 

 attempted to dig out the nest, but had scarcely ever succeeded 

 in getting to the end. The bird chooses any low bank of firm 

 sandy soil by the side of a road or stream. 



At the settlement of Bahia Blanca the walls are built of 

 hardened mud ; and I noticed one, enclosing a courtyard, where 

 I lodged, which was penetrated by round holes in a score of 

 places. On asking the owner the cause of this, he bitterly 

 complained of the little Casarita, several of which I afterwards 

 observed at work. It is rather curious, that as these birds were 

 constantly flitting backwards and forwards over the low wall, 

 they must be quite incapable of judging of distance or thickness 

 even after the shortest circuitous route, for otherwise they would 

 not have made so many vain attempts." 



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