9 2 
Barrows on Birds of the Lowkr Uruguay. 
[April 
time without hearing the hearty voice — more emphatic perhaps 
than beautiful — but you might often row on for miles without a 
single glimpse of the bird himself. 
He stays all winter at Concepcion and doubtless breeds there 
during the summer, but the nest and eggs were not taken. 
22. Guiraca glaucoccerulea ( Lafr . & d’ Orb.). — Not un- 
common during spring and summer, with habits and song much 
resembling those of our Indigo Bird, which it so nearly approaches 
in plumage. Of its nesting habits I am ignorant, though it cer- 
tainly breeds about Concepcion. 
23. Spermophila caerulescens Vieill. Corbatita (Lit- 
tle Cravat, in allusion to the black collar and white band above 
it). — Early in November these birds arrive in Concepcion from 
the north and soon become very common everywhere, but seem 
to prefer bushes, hedges, and tall weeds. 
During the first week in December many nests were found 
which occasionally contained but one egg each, and never more 
than two, which seemed to be the normal number. The nests 
were very neat affairs, made entirely of fine grass, roots, and 
hair ; so closely woven as to be very strong, yet so thin and 
delicate that the eggs could often be seen through the bottom. 
The nest was sometimes placed in a mass of fine twigs to which 
it was bound, but oftener it was only fastened to three or four 
vertical twigs which passed through its rim, thus making the 
nest semi-pensile. Rarely was it more than four feet from the 
ground. The eggs were white with dark flecks. Late in the 
summer the birds gather into loose flocks or small parties and 
turn northward again. 
24. Spermophila palustris sp. nov. 
Adidi male: breeding plumage. Above, from bill to rump, clear bluish- 
ash ; below, from bill to middle of breast, including lower eyelid, ear- 
coverts, and sides of neck, pure white ; rest of under parts, rump, and 
most of upper tail-coverts, bright cinnamon-brown. Wings and tail 
brownish-black edged with whitish ; inner secondaries deep black, their 
tips and outer edges broadly white (pure in highest plumage, at other 
times soiled or even rusty) ; a white patch across the base of all the 
primaries except the first two. Bill and feet black ; iris dark. Length, 
about 4.50 inches; extent, about 7.00; wing, about 2.18; tail, about 1.70. jl 
In some individuals, even in high plumage, the ashy feathers of the 
back show blackish centres. 
Adult female: breeding flumage. Above, uniform greenish-olive ob- 
scurely streaked with dusky ; below, light yellowish-buff ; wings and 
