158 Mr. H. Durnford^s Notes from the 
lieve, of the country, and useful for nothing but to keep off 
the rays of the sun. 
Motacillim. 
Anthus rufus is very common, occasionally perching on 
trees, bushes, &c. In its flight it circles upwards, like our 
Sky-Lark, its voice, however, being far inferior to the song of 
that bird. On September 28tn a friend of mine took three 
fresh eggs from a nest of grass lined with hair; and on Oc¬ 
tober 5th I took three slightly incubated eggs from a nest 
made entirely of cow^s hair. 
Mniotiltidjs. 
A single specimen of Panda pitiayumi is the only member 
of this family I have yet met with. It came so close to me 
that I knocked it over with my stick. 
HlRUNDINimE. 
Progne purpurea was first seen on September 22nd; by 
October 13th it was common. On April 3rd I saw a specimen 
of Hirundo leucorrhoa flying over the island of Flores, to the 
east of Buenos Ayres; and on August 10th I observed others 
at Belgrano ; from the latter date to the 18th they appeared 
sparingly, the weather being cloudy and unsettled; by Oc¬ 
tober 9th they were busily engaged in building their nests, and 
were very abundant. I often observe birds of this species 
clinging to the trunks of large willow trees which are full of 
holes ; they also perch on twigs just outside the holes; and 
once I saw one sitting on the edge of a large opening in a 
branch. On October 3rd I saw two pairs of Atticora cyano- 
leuca frequenting some holes in a sand-pit near Flores; as 
they often returned to the pit, and clung to the face of its 
perpendicular sides, I think they had nests near. I thrust 
the whole length of my walking-stick into two or three of the 
holes, without touching the end of any of them. I am told 
this Swallow remains the whole year near Buenos Ayres; and 
a friend assures me that he once shot one when Duck-shooting 
in the winter. 
FRINGILLIDiE. 
f Zonotrichia pileata ? the Sparrow of this country, is very 
