GALLINAGO PARAGUAY^ 127 



wild at times : usually, they are tame. I have often shot them 

 sitting with the •410. 



Azara describes two species of Snipes in Becasina prima and 

 B. segunda, but expresses himself somewhat doubtful about 

 the latter, for he says " No lo asseguro absolutamente, bien que 

 me lo parece." 



Dr. Sharpe refers the former to this species, although Azara 

 states it has fourteen tail feathers and the latter sixteen. 



For the information of travellers and sportsmen who, like 

 Admiral Kennedy, in "Sporting Sketches in South America," may 

 not be aware of the value of a Snipe's tail in determining its 

 species, I take the opportunity to note that there are sixteen 

 feathers in the tail of the Paraguayan Snipe, as against fourteen 

 in the Common Snipe of Great Britain. 



Of the habits of these Snipes, Azara says that in Montevideo 

 they call them Aguateros, " figurandose que anuncian lluvia 

 quando al anochecer y romper el dia, y d veces con la obscuridad, 

 suben casi verticalmente a mucha altura ; de donde se dexan 

 caer abandonados plegadas las alas cabeza abaxo, sonando ' Bere 

 Bere ' muchas veces continuas, y antes de llegar al suelo vuelven 

 d subir, repitiendo lo mismo algun rato. Verdad es que ignoro 

 si la segunda especie usa esta practica, y si canta ' Kahd ' como la 

 primera al levantarse asustada. Habitan las costas cenagosas de 

 las lagunas, ocultdndose mucho en las yerbas y broza, sin dexarse 

 ver en parages pelados, ni entrar en los bosques. Son seminoc- 

 turnas y estacionarias : van solas 6 con otra identica, y a veces 

 hasta quatro ; y son bastante ariscas, aunque se suelen levantar de 

 muy cerca. Su alimento consiste sin duda en gusanos e insectos 

 aquaticos ; y yo solte una viva de la primera especie en mi quarto, 

 donde vivio bastantes dias comiendo pedacillos de carne cruda." 



Darwin says : — " Flight a very little less irregular and rapid 

 than the English Snipe. I several times in May observed this 

 species flying in lofty circles and suddenly stooping downwards, at 

 the same time that it uttered a peculiar drumming noise, similar 

 to that made by the English Snipe in summer, while breeding." 



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