24 The Naturalist in La Plata. 



harrier-like chimango. These nest on the ground, 

 are versatile in their habits, carrion-eaters, also 

 killers on their own account, and, like wild dogs, 

 sometimes hunt in bands, which gives them an 

 advantage. They are the unfailing attendants of 

 all flesh-hunters, human or feline; and also furiously 

 pursue and persecute all eagles and true vultures 

 that venture on that great sea of grass, to wander 

 thereafter, for ever lost and harried, " the Hagars 

 and Ishmaels of their kind." 



The owls are few and all of wide-ranging species. 

 The most common is the burrowing-owl, found in 

 both Americas. Not a retiring owl this, but all day 

 long, in cold and in heat, it stands exposed at the 

 mouth of its kennel, or on the vizcacha's mound, 

 staring at the passer-by with an expression of grave 

 surprise and reprehension in its round yellow eyes ; 

 male and female invariably. together, standing stiff 

 and erect, almost touching — of all birds that pair 

 for life the most Darby and Joan like. 



Of the remaining land birds, numbering about 

 forty species, a few that are most attractive on 

 account of their beauty, engaging habits, or large 

 size, may be mentioned here. On the southern por- 

 tion of the pampas the military starling (Sturnella) 

 is found, and looks like the European starling, with 

 the added beauty of a scarlet breast : among resi- 

 dent pampas birds the only one with a touch of 

 brilliant colouring. It has a pleasing, careless song, 

 uttered on the wing, and in winter congregates in 

 great flocks, to travel slowly northwards over the 

 plains. When thus travelling the birds observe a 

 kind of order, and the flock feeding along the 



