Sydney Porter—Notes from South America



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North America and is a wonderful songster. I saw quite a few of these

birds in the trees in the streets of Montevideo. I also saw some of them

being hawked around in the streets of Buenos Aires in small aviaries

on wheels. It was a pathetic sight to see these structures filled with

terrified birds being trundled along in the midst of all the rushing

traffic, with no shade from the blazing sun, crouching in the corners

too frightened to move. The victims were mainly Chingolo Song

Sparrows, Mocking Birds, Cow-birds, and Red-bellied Thrushes, the

latter being a favourite cage bird in South America and one sees dozens

of them in the bird shops in Buenos Aires, the price varies according to

the vocal accomplishments of the bird.


In a small aviary in the Gardens were three species of Tinamus,

the Rufous, the Spotted, and the Martinita : why they weren’t in a

larger aviary where they could breed is beyond me.


The Tinamus are a group of peculiar Partridge-like birds with no

affinities to the Partridges though they are called Partridges in South

America, in fact scientists say they are related to the Ratites or Ostrich¬

like birds. They are confined to the pampas regions of South America,

and are reported to be fast disappearing, but judging by the fact that

“ Martinita ” figured almost every day on the ship’s menu the birds

cannot be as scarce as supposed.


These birds form a very peculiar group which differs from all other

birds by their habits and general characteristics which are too lengthy

to describe here. Sufficient to say that they lay the most remarkable

eggs of any bird known, and these an ordinary person seeing for the first

time would refuse to believe were eggs at all. Some are purple, others

brilliant green, and some deep leaden black, all are most highly glazed

and resemble china.


The smaller species of Tinamus are very attractive as aviary birds

and I would have liked to have brought some back with me but I had

to draw the line somewhere. I had had enough of bringing so many

birds back that I had not a minute’s spare time on board the ship, and

having to overstock my aviaries when I got home.


A bird seen at liberty in the Gardens was the well-known Spur¬

winged Plover, one of the most familiar birds of the Argentine, where

it is known as the “ Teru-Teru ” from its call; a great many of these



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