Neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres. 165 
blotches of dark umber-brown and black distributed over the 
whole egg. Gambetta flavipes are common, and on October 
10th were still in flocks; so that they cannot be nesting, 
though the time must be near. 
LARIDz. 
A Tern I saw in March on Flores Island, and again in May 
on the shores of the La Plata, near Monte Video, I believe 
to have been Sterna trudeaui; but of this I am not certain. 
I saw a flock of Sterna superciliaris during a very stormy day 
in May, beating against the wind close inshore, near the 
custom-house at Monte Video; I have no doubt about the 
species, which appears on the wing to be a little larger than 
S. minuta. Of Gulls, Larus dominicanus is pretty common ; 
and on September 10th I shot one in full summer plumage. 
This Gull goes far inland; for in September I found it com- 
mon about 100 miles south of Buenos Ayres, in the campo, 
where it feeds upon dead sheep, horses, &c. Larus maculi- 
pennis is the commonest species here; they commence as- 
suming their spring dress about the middle of July; they 
feed on worms and insects, and also on carrion. This bird 
much resembles our L. ridibundus in its actions and flight 
and voice. I believe it nests in the open campo, some distance 
to the south of Buenos Ayres; there are eggs in the mu- 
seum from this neighbourhood which resemble those of L. 
ridibundus, except that they are larger. I have not as yet, 
so far as I am aware, seen L. cirrhocephalus. 
PoDICIPITIDZ. 
Ai chmophorus major I have observed frequently in Banda 
Oriental, as well asenear Buenos Ayres. I have also seen 
Tachybaptus dominicus near Monte Video in full summer 
plumage ; in August and September I saw it here on small 
streams, but during these months always in pairs. 
TINAMIDZ. 
Nothura maculosa is abundant wherever there is cover; a 
friend of mine found a nest with one egg as early as July. 
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