138 RIO PARANA. [CHAP. VII. 
These birds are common far inland along the course of the 
Rio Parana; it is said that they remain here during the whole 
year, and breed in the marshes. During the day they rest in 
flocks cn the grassy plains, at some distance from the water. 
Being at anchor, as I have said, in one of the deep creeks be- 
tween the islands of the Parana, as the evening drew to a close, 
one of these scissor-beaks suddenly appeared. The water was 
quite still, and many little fish were rising. “The bird continued 
for a long time to skim the surface, flying in its wild and irre- 
gular manner up and down the narrow canal, now dark with the 
growing night and the shadows of the overhanging trees. At 
Monte Video, I observed that some large flocks during the day 
remained on the mud-banks at the head of the harbour, in the 
same manner as on the grassy plains near the Parana; and every 
evening they took flight seaward. From these facts I suspect 
that the Rhynchops generally fishes by night, at which time many 
of the lower animals come most abundantly to the surface. M. 
Lesson states that he has seen these birds opening the shells of 
the mactre buried in the sand-banks on the coast of Chile: 
from their weak bills, with the lower mandible so much project- 
ing, their short legs and long wings, it is very improbable that 
this can be a general habit. 
In our course down the Parana, I observed only three other 
birds, whose habits are worth mentioning. One is a small king- 
fisher (Ceryle Americana) ; it has a longer tail than the European 
species, and hence does not sit in so stiff and upright a position. 
Its flight also, instead of being direct and rapid, like the course 
of an arrow, is weak and undulatory, as among the soft-billed 
birds. It utters a low note, like the clicking together of two 
small stones. A small green parrot (Conurus murinus), with a 
grey breast, appears to prefer the tall trees on the islands to any 
other situation for its building-place. A number of nests are 
placed so close together as to form one great mass of sticks. 
These parrots always live in flocks, and commit great ravages on 
the corn-fields. I was told that near Colonia 2500 were killed 
in the course of one year. A bird with a forked tail, terminated 
by two long feathers (Tyrannus savana), and named by the 
Spaniards scissor-tail, is very common near Buenos Ayres: it 
commonly sits on a branch of the ombdu tree, near a house, and 
