224 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 
of its note, and Afiumbi (the Guarani name); but 
its best-known name is Lefatero, or ‘ Firewood- 
gatherer,” from the quantity of sticks which it collects 
for building purposes. 
The Firewood-gatherer is a resident in Argentina, 
and pairs for life. Sometimes the young birds remain 
with their parents for a period of three or four 
months, all the family going about and feeding in 
company, and roosting together in the old nest. 
The nest and the tree where it is placed are a favourite 
resort all the year round. Here the birds sit perched 
a great deal, and repeat at intervals a song or call, 
composed of four or five loud ticking chirps, followed 
by a long trilling note. They feed exclusively on 
the ground, where they creep about, carrying the 
body horizontally and intently searching for insects. 
When disturbed they hurry to their usual refuge, . 
rapidly beating their very feeble wings, and expanding 
the broad acuminated tail like a fan. When the male 
and female meet at their nest, after a brief separation, 
they sing their notes in concert, as if rejoicing over 
their safe reunion; but they seldom separate, and 
Azara says that when one incubates, the other sits 
at the entrance to the nest, and that when one 
returns to the nest with food for the young the 
other accompanies it, though it has found nothing 
to carry. 
To build, the Ariumbi makes choice of an isolated 
tree in an open situation, and prefers a dwarf tree 
with very scanty foliage; for small projecting twigs 
and leaves hinder the worker when carrying up 
