181 
the Province of Buenos Ayres. 
situations as Cistothorus platensis. Its food, like that of the 
other small Synallaxinse, consists of minute insects, chiefly 
Coleoptera. Iris primrose-yellow. 
58. Anumbiusacuticaudatus (Less.); Scl. etSalv. P. Z. S. 
1868, p. 141. 
Synallaocis major , Gould. 
The Synallaxinse are largely represented in Buenos Ayres; 
and, with the exception of the present species, all the mem¬ 
bers have nearly similar habits. To a stranger nothing is 
more striking on his arrival here than the large and untidy- 
looking masses of sticks, one or more of which may be seen in 
most of the trees of any height. These nests are altogether 
out of proportion to the number of birds; but as they are 
strongly built, and last for years, their number may be easily 
accounted for. They are of enormous dimensions for the 
size of the bird, and consist of two rooms, a passage leading 
from the upper to the lower. The upper one is used, more 
or less, all the year round for roosting in; and the owners are 
generally busily engaged in repairing their nests whenever 
they are not taken up with eggs or young. 
I am not aware when poplar trees were first introduced 
into this country; but their introduction has caused a con¬ 
siderable revolution in the habits of this bird. From its short 
wings it is evidently not fitted for a long sustained flight; and 
yet the proportion of birds that build in poplars in preference 
to any other tree is at least ten to one; and these are natu¬ 
rally the highest trees in the country. Nor is this all: the 
motto of this bird is “ Excelsior ; 99 and as the poplars increase 
in height the Senateros become more ambitious, and it is now 
quite a common sight to see two or more nests in the same 
tree, the highest seventy or eighty feet from the ground. 
Whenever the bird wishes to ascend to its nest, it starts 
from the ground at just sufficient distance from the nest to 
enable it, by taking a gradual curve, to just fetch the de¬ 
sired spot; and if it fails to do this, it reaches it by hopping 
upwards from bough to bough; for it is quite unable to turn 
in its flight, or to rise except by a gradual upward motion. 
SEE. iv.— VOL. i. o 
