: Argentine Ornithology, Volume I (of 2) - P. L Sclater, W. H Hudson (inspirational books to read .TXT) 📗

ends of the outer rectrices more or less varied

    with white; bill clear orange; feet greyish brown: whole length

    7·5 inches, wing 3·6, tail 3·5. _Female_ similar, less brightly

    coloured, and with the guttural collar almost or altogether absent.

 

_Hab._ Paraguay, Uruguay, and Northern Argentina.

 

In Corrientes d'Orbigny found this Saltator breeding in the month of

November. It frequents the shrubs and bushes in the neighbourhood of the

houses, and makes an open nest of roots, not of very neat construction.

The eggs are two or three, greenish blue, slightly spotted at the larger

end with blackish and reddish zigzag markings. The egg is figured in

d'Orbigny's 'Voyage' (pl. xxviii. fig. 3).

 

White tells us that this species is not uncommon in Catamarca, and

Barrows met with it at Concepcion in Entrerios.

Fam. X. (FRINGILLIDÆ, or FINCHES.)

 

The extensive family of Finches, which has numerous representatives in

every part of the world, is well represented in the Argentine Republic.

Within the limits assigned to the present work forty-six species of his

group are already known to occur, and it is probable that this number

will be somewhat increased when the Argentine avifauna is thoroughly

worked out.

 

Most of the genera to which the Argentine Finches belong are forms

peculiar to the Neotropical Region, or at all events to the New World.

The genus _Chrysomitris_, which contains our Siskin and other Old-World

species, is the only one which has a wider distribution.

 

One of the most characteristic forms of Argentine Fringillidæ is

_Poospiza_, of which seven species are met with within the limits of

the Republic, while _Lophospingus_, _Donacospiza_, _Gubernatrix_, and

_Saltatricula_ are Fringilline types peculiar to Argentina.

47. PHEUCTICUS AUREIVENTRIS (d'Orb. et Lafr.). (BLACK-AND-YELLOW THICK-BILL.)

 

+Pheucticus aureiventris+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 27; _White, P.

S._ 1882, p. 598 (Salta); _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 55.

 

    _Description._--Above, also head, throat, and chest, black; lesser

    wing-coverts yellow; two spots on the greater coverts and the base

    of the primaries white; tail black, the three outer feathers on each

    side tipped with white; belly and under wing-coverts bright yellow;

    sides sparsely spotted with black; bill and feet black: total length

    8·7 inches, wing 4·5, tail 3·5. _Female_ similar.

 

_Hab._ Bolivia and Northern Argentina.

 

Examples of this fine species, originally discovered by d'Orbigny in

Bolivia, were obtained by White in the forests of Salta.

48. GUIRACA CYANEA (Linn.). (INDIGO FINCH.)

 

+Guiraca cyanea+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 27; _White, P. Z. S._

      1882, p. 598 (Catamarca). +Guiraca cyanea argentina+, _Sharpe,

      Cat. B._ xii. p. 73.

 

    _Description._--Indigo-blue; lesser wing-coverts azure-blue; wing-

    and tail-feathers black; forehead azure-blue, and head washed with

    the same colour; bill and feet black: total length 6·8 inches, wing

    3·6, tail 2·9. _Female_ brown; beneath brighter and rufescent.

 

_Hab._ Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.

 

White found this bird "not uncommon around Andalgala in Catamarca, in

hedges and thickets." Mr. Sharpe separates the Argentine bird as a

subspecies, from its larger size.

49. GUIRACA GLAUCOCÆRULEA (d'Orb. et Lafr.). (GLAUCOUS FINCH.)

 

+Guiraca glaucocærulea+, _Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S._ 1868, p. 139

      (Buenos Ayres), _iid. Nomencl._ p. 27; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877,

170 (Buenos Ayres); _Salvin, Ibis_, 1880, p. 353 (Salta);

      _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 92 (Concepcion);

      _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 75. +Coccoborus glaucocæruleus+,

      _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 488 (Paraná).

 

    _Description._--Uniform glaucous blue; wings and tail blackish, the

    feathers edged with light blue: total length 5·7 inches, wing 2·9,

    tail 2·3.

 

_Hab._ Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.

 

This is a rare Finch, and its massive beak and rich blue plumage give to

it a highly interesting appearance; but about its habits I have little

to tell, for it is essentially a bird of the wild forest, seldom coming

near the abodes of man, and being, moreover, shy in disposition, it is

difficult to observe it even in its haunts. It is migratory, and is

usually seen singly or in pairs, or in small companies of four or five

individuals. The male sings, but his performance is merely a confused

medley of chattering notes, uttered in so low a tone that they can

scarcely be heard at a distance of twelve yards.

50. ORYZOBORUS MAXIMILIANI, Cab. (PRINCE MAX.'S FINCH.)

 

+Oryzoborus maximiliani+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 488

      (Tucuman); _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 78.

 

    _Description._--Black; large alar speculum, axillaries, and under

    wing-coverts white; bill pale yellow; feet brown: total length 5·8

    inches, wing 2·9, tail 2·5. _Female_ brown; beneath brownish

    ochraceous.

 

_Hab._ S. Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.

 

This Finch is stated by Burmeister to occur near Tucuman.

51. SPERMOPHILA PALUSTRIS, Barrows. (MARSH FINCH.)

 

+Spermophila palustris+, _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 82

      (Concepcion); _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 112.

 

    _Description._--Above, from bill to rump, clear bluish ash; below,

    from bill to middle of breast, including lower eyelid, ear-coverts,

    and sides of neck, pure white; rest of underparts, rump, and upper

    tail-coverts bright chestnut-red; wings and tail blackish brown,

    edged with whitish; inner secondaries black, their tips and outer

    edges broadly white; a white patch across the base of all the

    primaries except the first two; bill and feet black, iris dark:

    total length 4·50 inches, wing 2·18, tail 1·70. _Female_ above

    uniform greenish olive, obscurely streaked with dusky; below light

    yellowish buff; wings and tail nearly as in male, but duller.

 

This small and beautiful Finch was discovered by Mr. Barrows in February

1880, on the Lower Uruguay. It inhabits the marshes, where the males

are frequently seen pursuing each other in the pairing-season,

occasionally pausing on the top of some tall grass to pour out their

delightful song. In character this resembles that of the Black-headed

Goldfinch; but has, Mr. Barrows says, a variety and sweetness far beyond

the powers of that bird.

 

It is just possible that Mr. Barrows's Finch may be Azara's unidentified

_Chipiu pardo y canela_ (Apuntamientos, vol. i. no. 143), which has the

same habits, living in the dense reed-beds of the Paraguayan marshes,

and is also a delightful singer,--superior to the Goldfinch or Canary,

Azara says.

52. SPERMOPHILA MELANOCEPHALA (Vieill.). (BLACK-HEADED FINCH.)

 

+Spermophila melanocephala+, _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 118.

 

    _Description._--Above black; rump and lesser wing-coverts bright

    rufous; large loral spot on each side white; wings and tail black;

    alar speculum white; beneath, throat white, band across the breast

    black; belly pale rufous; flanks and crissum dark rufous; under

    wing-coverts white; bill and feet black: whole length 5·0 inches,

    wing 2·4, tail 2·2.

 

_Hab._ Paraguay and Argentina.

 

A specimen of this species, now in the British Museum, was obtained by

Durnford at Punta Lara in October 1875.

53. SPERMOPHILA CÆRULESCENS (Vieill.). (SCREAMING FINCH.)