208 .1 7 'our in Soutli Aiiierica and Aviary Notes. 
Estancias, staying a few days at each ; tliere were not many liirds 
to be seen, chiefly large Vulture Hawks which were very hand- 
some, and little Burrowing Owls sitting on the fence rails or on 
the top of their burrows, screaming defiance if one went near 
them. There were also Partridges, not like oars, but more like 
large Quail ; at that time of year they always got up singly, but 
later, we were told, they kept together in large numbers, and 
afford verj' good sport. At one Estancia beyond Rosaria, there 
was a tame Rhea* which walked aboi;t the garden and round the 
house, it was given to me when I left and I brought it home safe- 
ly. I was told it was a cock. When I came home I found that 
my own pair had grown into enormous birds. We saw great 
numbers of these bir<ls in 8. America, but none were anything 
like the size that mine have become in the last few months. We 
always supposed them to be a true pair as onet was continually 
booming and they had become very fierce. We put them into a 
large field and hoped they would nest. One day the new Rhea 
walked up the avenue near their field and the largest of the old 
ones broke out to make its acquaintance. We put him back sev- 
eral times but he managed in some way or other to get through or 
over the wire cattle fence about four feet high, and through a 
wood to the field where his new friend was enclosed. He was taken 
back to his own field but again l)roke out, so we decided to keep 
all three birds, for the future, in the same field. Now he has for- 
saken his own friend and has entirely taken up with the new one. 
It is this that makes me think that the new one must be a hen. 
The discarded onej lives by itself in another part of the field. My 
own pair are three years old, and were bred in England, the new 
one is two years old. I was also given five of this year's young 
birds, they were sent home after us and arrived safely. They are 
very tame and live in the deer park. I feed them every morning 
and when I whistle they run to meet me however far away tliey 
may be, and surround me jumping up at the food so that I find it 
difficult to get to the place where I feed them. They take a great 
interest in golf and when we play follow round the whole course. 
Their antics are most amusing, and they are Ijoth graceful and 
stately. 
* Plate I. No. 1, Plate II. Fig. 1. 
t Plate I. No. 2, Plate II. Fig. 2. 
X Plate II. Fig. 3. 
