CINCLODES FUSCUS 77 



arena y barro de arroyos y lagunas, y otros los caminos como la 

 Correndera. Algunas veces lie visto hasta 5 que obraban acordes, 

 y se suele posar en lo alto de las matillas. No dudo que come 

 insectos, pues se los he visto coger en el barro, y que tambien 

 comerd semillas pequenas. Es muy activa, su volar suelto y 

 veloz, y se dilata mas que las precedentes; pero no la he oido 

 cantar, ni visto que se eleve como las otras." 



Nothing is recorded of the life habits by D'Orbigny except 

 that: — "Elle vient souvent au milieu des villages et s'y montre 

 partout tres-commune. Jamais elle ne se perche sur les arbres." 



Darwin says : — " In general habits it has several points of 

 resemblance with the Furnarius cunicularius^ but differs in some 

 other respects. Its flight is somewhat similar, but it shows two 

 red bands on its wings, instead of one, by which it can be 

 distinguished at a distance : instead of walking, it only hops; it 

 feeds entirely on the ground, and in its stomach I found scarcely 

 anything but coleopterous insects, and of these many were fungi 

 feeders. It often frequents the borders of lakes, where the 

 water has thrown up leaves and other refuse. It likewise may 

 be met with in all parts of the open grassy plains of Banda 

 Oriental, where (like the Uppucertkia at the Rio Negro) it often 

 turns over dry dung. Its note is very like that of the F. 

 cunicularius^ but more acute, and consists of a shrill cry, quickly 

 reiterated so as to make a running sound. I was informed that, 

 like that bird, it builds its nest at the bottom of a deep burrow." 

 On Flores Island, in La Plata, during nine days' quarantine, 

 Durnford had no other land companion than this bird, 

 with the exception one morning of a flock of Eudromias. 

 He says : — " It feeds on small larvae and insects, and is fond of 

 rough ground, where there is little herbage, in the neighbour- 

 hood of water. In the winter it generally goes in small parties, 

 sometimes in large flocks." 



Common as it is on all sides, I could not obtain a nest. It 

 builds in burrows underground, probably some distance in. 

 Many times has this bird come out of the earth at my feet, but 



