Buarremon citrinellus, Cab. Journ. f. Orn. 1883, p. 109; Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 270.
Description.—Above olive-green, darker on the head; wings and tail blackish brown, edged with olive; a broad superciliary stripe commencing on the front on each side, and another commencing at the gape, bright yellow, leaving in the middle a broad patch of dark olive; beneath yellow, breast and flanks olivaceous; throat yellow, bordered on each side by a dark olive mystacal stripe; bill black; feet brown: whole length 6·5 inches, wing 2·8, tail 2.
Hab. Tucuman.
This is a rather aberrant species of Buarremon, as yet only known from Tucuman, where it was discovered by Schulz.
Arremon orbignii, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 25; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 597 (Catamarca); Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 274.
Description.—Above olive-green; wings and tail blackish, edged with olive; head black, superciliaries white, vertical stripe and nape cinereous; beneath white, with a narrow but distinct pectoral band; sides cinereous; bend of wing yellow; bill yellow, with the upper half of the upper mandible black; feet brown: total length 5·7 inches, wing 2·8, tail 2·6.
Hab. Bolivia and Northern Argentina.
Specimens of this Tanager were obtained by White on the Sierras of Totoral, near Catamarca, in July 1880. The iris is marked as “blue.”
Saltator similis, d’Orb. Voy., Ois. p. 290, t. xxviii. fig. 2 (Corrientes); Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 287. Saltator superciliaris, White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 597 (Corrientes)?
Description.—Above cinereous; interscapulium and greater wing-coverts and secondaries suffused with olive-green; superciliaries white; below pale fulvous; throat white, bordered on each side by a black line; flanks passing into cinereous; under wing-coverts pale fulvous; bill plumbeous; feet brown: whole length 8·5 inches, wing 4·0, tail 4·0. Female similar.
Hab. S.E. Brazil and Eastern Argentina.
This Saltator was first described from specimens obtained at Rincon de Luna in Corrientes by d’Orbigny, but no recent collectors appear to have met with it in the Argentine Republic.
Saltator cærulescens, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 480 (Paraná); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 26; Durnford, Ibis, 1878, p. 59 (Buenos Ayres); Salvin, Ibis, 1880, p. 353 (Salta); White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 597 (Salta); Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 290.
Description.—Above cinereous, wings and tail rather darker; short superciliaries white; beneath pale cinereous; throat white, with a blackish rictal stripe on each side; fore neck slightly tinged with fulvous; middle of belly whitish; lower belly and crissum strongly suffused with fulvous; under wing-coverts pale fulvous; bill black; feet brown: total length 8·5 inches, wing 4·3, tail 4·1. Female similar.
Hab. Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.
Mr. Durnford found this Saltator “pretty common” near Baradero, on low scrubby ground near water, and afterwards obtained it near Salta. White records it as “very abundant” near Oran.
Saltator aurantiirostris, d’Orb. Voy., Ois. p. 288 (Corrientes); Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 481 (Mendoza, Cordova, Tucuman, Paraná); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 26; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 508 (Catamarca); Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 91 (Concepcion); Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 292.
Description.—Above cinereous, with a slight olivaceous suffusion; head rather darker; sides of head and throat black; superciliary stripe, commencing above the eye, white; beneath pale cinereous mixed with fulvous, a well-marked guttural collar joining the sides of the throat black; 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.
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.
Pheucticus aureiventris, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 27; White, P. Z. 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.
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.
Guiraca glaucocærulea, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 139 (Buenos Ayres), iid. Nomencl. p. 27; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Spermophila cærulescens, Scl. Ibis, 1871, p. 12; Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 28; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 508 (Buenos Ayres); Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 92 (Concepcion); Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 126. Sporophila ornata, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 488 (Mendoza, Paraná). Spermophila ornata, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 632; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 170 (Buenos Ayres); Salv. Ibis, 1880, p. 353 (Salta).
Description.—Above pale smoky brown; front and lores black; beneath, chin and upper part of throat black, with a distinct white mystacal stripe on each side; fore neck white; broad band across the chest black; abdomen white, slightly varied with grey and black on the flanks; under wing-coverts white; bill pale horn-colour; feet brown: whole length 4·8 inches, wing 2·3, tail 1·9. Female pale olive-brown; wings and tail darker; beneath lighter, tinged with ochraceous; middle of the belly almost white.
Hab. Southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia.
This species is a summer visitor in Buenos Ayres, and is one of the last to arrive and first to depart of our migrants. These birds are always most abundant in plantations, preferring peach-trees, but do not associate in flocks: they are exceedingly swift and active, overflowing with life and energy, their impetuous notes and motions giving one the idea that they are always in a state of violent excitement. The male has a loud, startled chirp, also a song composed of eight or ten notes, delivered with such vehemence and rapidity, that they run into each other and sound more like a scream than a song. There is not a more clever architect than this species; and while many Synallaxes are laboriously endeavouring to show how stately a mansion of sticks a little bird can erect for itself, the Screaming Finch has successfully solved the problem of how to construct the most perfect nest for lightness, strength, and symmetry with the fewest materials. It is a small, cup-shaped structure, suspended hammock-wise between two slender upright branches, and to which it is securely attached by fine hairs and webs. It is made of thin, pale-coloured, fibrous roots, ingeniously woven together—reddish or light-coloured horse-hair being sometimes substituted; and so little material is used that, standing under the tree, a person can easily count the eggs through the bottom of the nest. Its apparent frailness is, however, its best protection from the prying eyes of birds and mammals that prey on the eggs and young of small birds; for it is difficult to detect this slight structure, through which the sunshine and rain pass so freely. So light is the little basket-nest that it may be placed on the open hand and blown away with the breath like a straw; yet so strong that a man can suspend his weight from it without pulling it to pieces. The eggs are three in number, white and spotted with black, sometimes bluish-brown spots are mingled with the black.
Paroaria cucullata, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 482 (Paraná, Tucuman); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 30; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 171 (Buenos Ayres); Gibson, Ibis, 1880, p. 19 (Buenos Ayres); White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 598 (Buenos Ayres); Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 129 (Concepcion).
Description.—Above grey; wing- and tail-feathers blackish grey; head all round, crest, and throat brilliant scarlet, the scarlet extending downwards to the chest; below white, the white colour extending up the sides of the neck; nape spotted with white: total length 8·0 inches, wing 4·0, tail 3·5. Female similar.
Hab. Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina.
This well-known species is perhaps the finest Finch the Argentines have. The entire upper plumage is clear grey, the under surface pure white; but its chief glory is its crest, which, with the anterior part of the head and the throat, is of the most vivid scarlet. The song has little variety, but is remarkably loud, and has that cheerful ring which most people admire in their caged pets, possibly because it produces the idea in the listener’s mind that the songster is glad to be a prisoner. As a cage-bird this Finch enjoys an extraordinary popularity; and a stranger in Buenos Ayres, seeing the numbers that are exposed for sale by the bird-dealers in the markets of that city, might fancy that a Cardinal in a cage is considered a necessary part of the ménage of every house in the country. This large supply of caged birds comes from South Brazil, Paraguay, and the north-eastern part of the Argentine country, where the Cardinals are most abundant and unite in large flocks. Probably they are not snared, but taken when young from the nest, as most of the birds exposed for sale are in immature plumage.
The Cardinal in a wild state is found as far south as the province of Buenos Ayres, but it is there a scarce bird. It breeds, Mr. Gibson writes, at the end of October, and makes a shallow nest of twigs, vine-tendrils, and horse-hair. The eggs are four; ground-colour white or tinged with faint brown or greenish, and spotted with brown, more densely at the large end.
Paroaria capitata, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 482; Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 30; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 598.
Description.—Above black; head bright scarlet, the black and red divided by white, crescent-shaped marks on the neck, narrowing to a point on the nape; throat black, the black extending downward to the chest; below white; bill and feet yellowish horn-colour: total length 6·6 inches, wing 3·0, tail 2·6.
Hab. Paraguay and Bolivia.
Dr. Burmeister tells us this species is not uncommon near Paraná, where it occurs in small flocks on the river-bank, and is often seen on the stones at the river’s edge.
Coryphospingus cristatus, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 30; Salvin, Ibis, 1880, p. 354 (Salta); White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 598 (Salta).
Description.—Above black, washed with red; rump crimson; wing- and tail-feathers black; forehead black; crest vivid scarlet; whole under surface fine crimson: total length 5·5 inches, wing 2·6, tail 2·3. Female above brown, with scarlet tinge on the rump; beneath salmon-colour, whitish on the throat.
Hab. Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.
Both Durnford and White obtained specimens of this bird in the province of Salta; White’s examples were met with in open country, dotted with thickets of low brushwood, to which the bird resorts.
Lophospiza pusilla, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 483. Lophospingus pusillus, Cab. J. f. O. 1878, p. 195 (Cordova). Coryphospingus pusillus, Salv. Ibis, 1880, p. 354, pl. ix. fig. 1 (Tucuman).
Description.—Above grey; sides of head and crest blackish; broad superciliaries white; wings blackish, edged with whitish grey; tail blackish, lateral rectrices with broad white tips; beneath greyish white, clearer on the throat and middle of the belly; bill dark horn-colour; lower mandible whitish; feet pale brown: whole length 5·0 inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·4.
Hab. Northern Argentina.
Donacospiza albifrons, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 632 (Buenos Ayres), iid. Nomencl. p. 30; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 171 (Buenos Ayres); White, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 38 (Cordova); Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool. p. 38 (Pampas). Poospiza albifrons, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 484 (Paraná).
Description.—Above yellowish grey, the back striped with blackish; lesser wing-coverts clear grey; greater coverts and wing-feathers black, edged with brown; head nearly the same as the back, somewhat grey on the cheek, the crown and nape washed with olive-brown; superciliary stripe and under surface buff; bill and feet horn-colour: total length 6·0 inches, wing 2·5, tail 3·0.
Hab. Paraguay, Uruguay, and La Plata.
The slender body, great length of tail, and the hue of the plumage, assimilating to that of sere decaying vegetation, might easily lead one into mistaking this Finch for a Synallaxis where these birds are abundant.
I have met with it in the marshy woods and reed-beds along the shores of the Plata, but it is a shy, rare bird in Buenos Ayres. I have followed it about, hoping to hear it utter a song or melodious note, but it had only a little chirp. I would not, however, on this account pronounce it to be the one silent member of a voiceful family, as my acquaintance with it is so very slight.
Poospiza nigrorufa, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 484 (Paraná); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 30; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 171 (Buenos Ayres); Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool. p. 38 (Rio Sauce); Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 129 (Concepcion).
Description.—Entire upper parts black, faintly washed with olive; superciliary stripe pale straw-colour; two outer tail-feathers on each side tipped with white; throat and under surface bright chestnut; centre of abdomen white; under tail-coverts pale buff: total length 5·8 inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·2. Female: upper parts not so dark as in male; underparts light buff, mottled and striped with blackish.
Hab. South Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
This sweet-voiced little songster appears in Buenos Ayres at the end of September; it is a common bird in grounds abounding in bushes and scattered trees, and, in its bright ruddy breast and dark upper plumage, has some resemblance to the English Robin; only it has a very conspicuous straw-coloured line above the eye. Its voice also, in purity and sweetness of tone, is not unlike that of the Robin; but the song, composed of six unvarying notes, is uttered in a deliberate, business-like manner at regular intervals, and is monotonous. Never more than two birds are seen together; they feed on the ground in humid situations, the male frequently seeking a perch to sing. The nest is made on the round, or in a close bush near the surface; the eggs have a pale bluish ground-colour, irregularly marked with black and very dark brown spots, and in some instances clouded with faint grey.
Poospiza whitii, Scl. P. Z. S. 1883, p. 43, pl. ix.
Description.—Above clear grey, very faintly washed with olive; tail black, the outer feathers on each side tipped with white, as in P. erythrophrys; patch between bill and eye, the anterior half of superciliary stripe, and chin white; hinder part of superciliary stripe and under surface chestnut; middle of belly white; under tail-coverts buff: total length 5·5 inches, wing 2·4, tail 2·6. Female similar, but breast pale rufous; abdomen white; sides grey and buff.
Hab. Province of Cordova, Rep. Arg.
This species has only been obtained by the late Mr. E. W. White. He met with specimens of it at Cosquin, Cordova, in June, July, and August, 1882. It has been dedicated to its discoverer, who has so largely augmented our knowledge of the Argentine avifauna, and whose premature death was a veritable loss for science.
Poospiza erythrophrys, Scl. Ibis, 1881, p. 599, pl. xvii. fig. 1; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 599 (Catamarca).
Description.—Above grey, faintly washed with olive; greater wing-coverts tipped with white; wing-feathers blackish, edged with grey; tail blackish grey, the two outer feathers on each side tipped with white, and on the outer feather the white extending down the outer web to the base of the tail; superciliary stripe and whole under surface light chestnut, paler on the abdomen; under tail-coverts buff: total length 5·5 inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·3.
Hab. Northern Argentina.
This pretty species is another of White’s discoveries. He first met with it in the Sierra of Totoral, Catamarca, and subsequently about 20 miles north of Buenos Ayres.
Poospiza assimilis, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 137; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 599 (Misiones). Poospiza lateralis, Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 130 (Concepcion).
Description.—Above grey, slight superciliary mark whitish; middle of back and wings washed with rufous; rump bright rufous; tail blackish, two lateral pairs of rectrices broadly tipped with white; beneath grey, white in the middle of the belly; flanks and crissum bright rufous; under wing-coverts greyish white; bill horn-colour, lower mandible yellowish; feet pale brown; whole length 5·0 inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·4.
Hab. Northern Argentina.
White found this species abundant amongst the thick weeds and grass in the outskirts of Concepcion. He took it for P. thoracica, from which it differs in its rufous rump. It is more like P. lateralis.
Phrygilus ornatus, Landb. Journ. f. Orn. 1865, p. 405. Poospiza ornata, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 30.
Description.—Above grey; back more or less varied with chestnut; long superciliaries ochreous white; wings blackish, coverts edged with white, tail black, lateral rectrices broadly tipped with white; beneath dark chestnut, lighter on the middle of the belly; bill and feet dark brown; whole length 5·2 inches, wing 2·4, tail 2·3. Female similar, but paler in colour, especially below.
Hab. Mendoza.
Poospiza torquata, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 484 (Mendoza); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 30; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 599 (Santiago del Estero); Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool. p. 38 (R. Colorado).
Description.—Above grey; wings blackish, the greater wing-coverts tipped with white; tail-feathers black, the two outer on each side tipped with white; from the bill, a broad white stripe extends above the eye to the nape; crown grey; sides of head black; beneath white, the chest crossed with a broad black band; under tail-coverts rufous: total length 5·3 inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·3.
Hab. Bolivia and Argentina.
White met with a male of this species in September 1881, at San Pedro, in the province of Santiago. Burmeister found it near Mendoza in the valleys of Sierra de Uspallata.
Poospiza melanoleuca, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 484 (Entrerios); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 30; Salv. Ibis, 1880, p. 354, pl. ix. fig. 2 (Tucuman); White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 599 (Salta); Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 130 (Entrerios).
Description.—Above, head and neck blackish; back grey; wings and tail blackish, three outer rectrices on each side tipped with white; beneath white; sides washed with grey, breast and belly also faintly tinged with grey: whole length 5·1 inches, wing 2·3, tail 2·0. Female similar.
Hab. Argentina.
White says that in Salta “this bird frequents the gardens in the vicinity of the houses, where it vigorously pursues the ants amongst the branches of the trees.” Mr. Barrows says that near Concepcion it had the general motions and appearance of a Titmouse, thus differing widely from the other members of the genus.
Phrygilus gayi, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 487 (Mendoza); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 31; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 599 (Catamarca).
Description.—Above, head all round, neck, and wing-coverts grey; back and upper tail-coverts olive-green; wings and tail black; beneath, throat grey, breast and belly yellow, washed with olive; crissum and under tail-coverts white; bill and feet black: whole length 6·0 inches, wing 3·5, tail 2·3. Female: above obscure olive-green, below yellow.
Hab. Chili and Western Argentina.
Burmeister says that this Chilian species is found in the valleys of the Sierras near Mendoza.
Phrygilus caniceps, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 487; Durnford, Ibis, 1878, p. 393 (Chupat); Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 130 (Sierra de la Ventana).
Description.—Above, head, neck, wing- and upper tail-coverts grey; back olivaceous yellow, washed with red; wing and tail-feathers black, edged with grey; beneath, throat grey, breast and belly orange-yellow; crissum and under tail-coverts white; bill horn-colour; feet light brown: whole length 6·8 inches, wing 3·6, tail 2·9.
Hab. Argentina.
Of this species, discovered by Dr. Burmeister near Mendoza, Mr. Barrows writes:—“Only met with on the Sierra de la Ventana, where it was abundant in flocks, some of which numbered as many as a hundred individuals. When found near the base of the sierra they were almost always associated with the common Zonotrichia. Although most of them had not finished moulting, they were constantly singing, and seemed perfectly contented with their desolate surroundings.”
Phrygilus dorsalis, Cab. Journ. f. Orn. 1883, p. 109.
Description.—Ashy grey; back rusty red; wing-coverts blackish; chin, lower belly, and crissum whitish: whole length 6·5 inches, wing 3·7, tail 2·6.
Hab. Tucuman.
Schulz discovered this species on the Cerro Vayo of Tucuman, near the snow-line. It reminds one of the North-American species of Junco in its coloration.
Phrygilus unicolor, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 31; Cab. J. f. O. 1878, p. 195 (Cordova). Phrygilus rusticus, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 487 (Mendoza).
Description.—Above nearly uniform slaty grey, below paler, whiter on the middle of the belly; bill dark horn-colour, feet clear brown: whole length 6·0 inches, wing 3·6, tail 2·6. Female cinereous, with blackish shaft-spots above and below; paler on the middle of the belly.
Hab. Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru; Chili, Bolivia, and Northern Argentina.
Phrygilus fruticeti, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii, p. 487 (Cordillera of Mendoza); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 31; Hudson, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 537 (Rio Negro); Durnford, Ibis, 1878, p. 393 (Chupat); Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool. p. 39 (R. Colorado, R. Negro). Emberiza luctuosa, Eyd. et Gerv. Mag. de Zool., 1836, Ois, pl. 72.
Description.—Grey, with minute black markings on the head and neck, and broader stripes on the back; greater coverts and wings black, the feathers edged with grey, and a band of white spots across the coverts; tail black; beneath, throat, and upper part of breast black, many feathers tipped with grey, giving the chest a mottled appearance; lower part of breast and belly grey, mottled below the chest with a few black spots; centre of abdomen and under tail-coverts white; beak yellow; feet flesh-colour: total length 7·3 inches, wing 4·0, tail 3·2. Female obscure grey and without the black colour on the throat and chest.
Hab. Peru, Bolivia, Chili, and Argentine Republic.
This Finch is common on the western slopes of the Andes as far north as Peru; it is also found in the Mendoza district and throughout Patagonia. It is very abundant on the Rio Negro, especially in the immediate neighbourhood of the Carmen settlements, for, like the Chingolo and other fringilline species, it is beneficially affected by cultivation. Though not possessing any bright tints, it is a very charming bird, tuneful, elegant in form, graceful and buoyant in its motions. When approached it utters a series of low ticking sounds, and at intervals a peculiar long squealing note. The song of the male is very agreeable, and curiously resembles that of the Cachila Pipit (Anthus correndera). It usually sits on a twig near the ground, and at intervals soars up to a height of ten or twenty yards, and utters its song while gliding slowly downwards with depressed wings and outspread tail. It sings throughout the year; in bright weather its notes are heard all day long, but on cold, cloudy, or wet days only after sunset. In the warm season they live in pairs, and in the autumn unite in flocks of as many as two or three hundred individuals, and have a strong undulating flight.
Phrygilus carbonarius, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 487; Döring, Expl. al Rio Negro, Zool. p. 38.
Description.—Above grey, with brownish-black stripes; wings dusky brown; tail-feathers black; below black, with minute grey marks on the throat and bosom; sides dull grey: total length 5·5 inches, wing 2·9, tail 2·2.
Hab. Bolivia, Argentina, and Patagonia.
This species is said to be about one third less than Phrygilus fruticeti in size, but to resemble it closely in colour. Dr. Döring found it abundant in Patagonia between the rivers Colorado and Negro, where it was seen during the cold season in flocks, associating with Zonotrichia canicapilla. Burmeister met with it in the Sierra de Uspallata, near Mendoza.
Gubernatrix cristatella, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 482 (Paraná); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 31; White, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 38 (Cordova); Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 130 (Concepcion, Entrerios).
Description.—Above light olive-green, the back marked with a few black stripes; four middle tail-feathers black, edged with olive, all the rest of the tail-feathers bright yellow, tipped with dull olive; broad superciliaries and lower part of the head bright yellow; crown, crest, and throat velvet-black, the black extending to the chest; beneath yellow, washed with olive-green on the breast and sides; bill and feet black: total length 8·0 inches, wing 3·8, tail 3·7. Female less brightly coloured; white on the head where the male is yellow; breast grey.
Hab. Paraguay and Argentine Republic.
The Yellow Cardinal is a graceful sprightly bird, with a strong melodious voice, and is one of our favourite cage-birds. It visits Buenos Ayres in small flocks in spring, but is a rare bird with us. There is little variety in its song, which is composed of four or five mellow notes of great power, and in tone somewhat like the whistle of the Blackbird of Europe.
Diuca vera, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 483 (Mendoza). Diuca grisea, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 31.
Description.—Above grey, sides of head darker; wings and tail blackish, edged with grey; lateral rectrices tipped with white; below grey, whole chin and throat and middle of the belly white; lower flanks and crissum stained with rufous; bill plumbeous; feet dark hazel: whole length 6·3 inches, wing 3·3, tail 2·6. Female similar, but tinged with brownish, and colours more obscure.
Hab. Chili and Western Argentina.
This well-known Chilian species is said by Burmeister to be not unfrequent near Mendoza and along the range of the Cordilleras.
Diuca minor, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 483 (San Louis, Cordova); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 31; Hudson, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 537 (Rio Negro); Durnford, Ibis, 1878, p. 393 (Tombo Point, Pat.); Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool. p. 39 (R. Colorado, R. Negro); Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 131 (Concepcion, Entrerios).
Description.—Grey; head, neck, and back faintly washed with brown; wings blackish, the feathers edged with brownish grey; tail-feathers black, tipped with white on the inner webs; beneath, from the bill to the chest, white; upper part of breast and sides grey; rest of the under surface white; a bright chestnut spot on the flanks: whole length 6·5 inches, wing 3·2, tail 2·6. Female similar, but less bright than male.
Hab. Argentina and Patagonia.
This pretty little grey-and-white Finch is common on the Chilian side of the Andes and throughout Patagonia, and also occurs in the Mendoza district. It is a tuneful bird, lively, social, and frolicsome in disposition; in autumn and winter uniting in flocks of from fifty to three or four hundred individuals; swift of flight, and when on the wing fond of pursuing its fellows and engaging in mock battles. The song of the male is very pleasing, the voice having more depth and mellowness than is usual with the smaller fringilline singers, which, as a rule, have thin, reedy, and tremulous notes. In summer it begins singing very early, even before the faintest indication of coming daylight is visible, and at that dark silent hour the notes may be heard at a great distance and sound wonderfully sweet and impressive. During the cold season, when they live in companies, the singing-time is in the evening, when the birds are gathered in some thick-foliaged tree or bush which they have chosen for a winter roosting-place. This winter-evening song is a hurried twittering, and utterly unlike the serene note of the male bird heard on summer mornings. A little while after sunset the flock bursts into a concert, which lasts several minutes, sinking and growing louder by turns, and during which it is scarcely possible to distinguish the notes of individuals. Then follows an interval of silence, after which the singing is again renewed very suddenly and as suddenly ended. For an hour after sunset, and when all other late singers, like the Mimus, have long been silent, this fitful impetuous singing is continued. Close by a house on the Rio Negro, in which I spent several months, there were three very large chañar bushes, where a multitude of Diuca Finches used to roost, and they never missed singing in the evening, however cold or rainy the weather happened to be. So fond were they of this charming habit, that when I approached the bushes or stood directly under them, the alarm caused by my presence would interrupt the performance only for a few moments, and presently they would burst into song again, the birds all the time swiftly pursuing each other amongst the foliage, often within a foot of my head.
The eggs, Darwin says (Zool. Voy. ‘Beagle,’ iii. p. 93), are pointed, oval, pale dirty green, thickly blotched with pale dull brown, becoming confluent and entirely coloured at the broad end.