

















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. 
MoractLuipzZ. ’ 
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 28th 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. 
MnioriLtTip&. 
A single specimen of Parula 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. 
HIRUNDINID. 
. Progne purpurea was first seen on September 22nd; by 
October 13thit wascommon. On April 8rd 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 Alticora 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. 
FRINGILLIDE. 
Zonotrichia pileata, the Sparrow of this country, is very 

