: Argentine Ornithology, Volume I (of 2) by P. L Sclater, W. H Hudson (books to read in your 20s female .txt) 📖

Fam. II. (CINCLIDÆ, or DIPPERS.)

The Dippers, constituting the genus _Cinclus_ and the family Cinclidæ,

are sparingly distributed, principally in the Alpine Regions which

contain clear and perennial streams, throughout the Palæarctic and

Nearctic Regions. In the Neotropical Region they are represented by

three species, one of which is found in the northern provinces of the

Argentine Republic.

9. CINCLUS SCHULZI, Cab. (SCHULZ'S DIPPER.) [Plate II.]

+Cinclus schulzi+, _Cab. J. f. O._ 1883, p. 102, t. ii. fig. 3.

 

    _Description._--Dark grey; throat pale rufous; a broad bar on the

    inner webs of the wing-feathers white: total length 5·5 inches, wing

    3·0, tail 1·6.

 

_Hab._ Northern Argentina.

 

A recent discovery of Herr Fritsch Schulz, who obtained specimens of it

on the Cerro Vayo of Tucuman, where this species, like others of the

genus, frequents the mountain-streams.

Fam. III. (MUSCICAPIDÆ, or FLYCATCHERS.)

 

The peculiar genus _Polioptila_, which contains some twelve or thirteen

species of small-sized American birds, ranging from the United States to

the Argentine Republic, has been variously arranged by naturalists, but

seems to be more nearly related to the African genus _Stenostira_ than

to any other known form. I therefore now place it with the Muscicapidæ,

or Flycatchers, of which it is the only genus found in the New World.

10. POLIOPTILA DUMICOLA (Vieill.). (BRUSH-LOVING FLY-SNAPPER.)

 

+Polioptila dumicola+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 4; _Durnford,

      Ibis_, 1876, p. 157, 1877, p. 167 (Buenos Ayres); _Salv. Ibis_,

      1880, p. 352 (Tucuman); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 593 (Buenos

      Ayres); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 86 (Concepcion);

      _Sharpe, Cat. B._ x. p. 444. +Culicivora dumicola+, _Burm.

      La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 473 (Paraná). +Culicivora boliviana+,

      _Scl. P. Z. S._ 1852, p. 34, pl. xlvii.

 

    _Description._--Above clear greyish blue; wing-coverts,

    bastard-wing, and primary-coverts dusky brown, with greyish-blue

    edges; quills dusky; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers black, the

    third outer tail-feather white at the tip, the outer tail-feather

    nearly entirely white; from the base of the forehead a black line

    extends backwards over the eye; under surface delicate ashy grey,

    white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts; bill and feet

    bluish-black: total length 4·5 inches, wing 2·1, tail 2·0. _Female_

    similar, but without the black eye-streak.

 

_Hab._ Paraguay and Northern Argentina.

 

This little bird strongly resembles some species of that division of the

Tyrannidæ which includes the genera _Stigmatura_, _Serpophaga_, and

_Anæretes_; but the likeness, strange to say, is even more marked in

habits and voice than in coloration and general appearance.

 

It is found in open thorny woods and thickets; and in Buenos Ayres seems

to have a partial migration, as it is much more common in summer than in

winter. At all times male and female are found together, and probably

pair for life, like several of the species in the groups just mentioned.

They are seen continually hopping about among the twigs in a leisurely

deliberate manner, all the time emitting a variety of low short notes,

as if conversing together; and at intervals they unite their voices

in a burst of congratulatory notes, like those uttered by the small

Tyrant-birds they resemble. They have no song. I have not found the

nest, but Dr. Burmeister says that it is made in bushes, and that the

eggs are white.

Fam. IV. (TROGLODYTIDÆ, or WRENS.)

 

The Troglodytidæ, or Wren family, are of wide distribution, and are

found alike under the tropics and in temperate latitudes. In South

America nearly 100 species altogether are known to occur. Of these two

are familiar inhabitants of the whole Argentine Republic, and a third,

belonging to the water-loving genus _Donacobius_, is met with in the

eastern provinces on the Paraná. A fourth species has been lately

described from Tucuman.

11. DONACOBIUS ATRICAPILLUS (Linn.). (BLACK-HEADED REED-WREN.)

 

+Donacobius atricapillus+, _Scl. Cat. A. B._ p. 16; _Scl. et Salv.

      Nomencl._ p. 5; _Sharpe, Cat. B._ vi. p. 364; _Burm. La-Plata

      Reise_, ii. p. 475. +Donacobius brasiliensis+, _d'Orb. Voy.,

      Ois._ p. 213 (Corrientes).

 

    _Description._--Above dark chocolate-brown; cap black; wings black,

    with a large white patch on the inner primaries; tail black; lateral

    rectrices broadly ended with white; beneath ochreous buff; sides of

    breast and flanks with cross lines of dusky brown: total length 7·5

    inches, wing 2·9, tail 3·7. _Female_ similar.

 

_Hab._ Guiana, Amazonia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.

 

The genus _Donacobius_ contains two species somewhat intermediate between

the Mock-birds and the large Wrens of the genus _Campylorhynchus_. The

well-known Brazilian _D. atricapillus_ extends through Paraguay, where

Azara found it abundant, into Corrientes and the adjoining provinces

of La Plata. It is met with among the reeds on lakes and streams.

12. TROGLODYTES FURVUS (Gm.). (BROWN HOUSE-WREN.)

+Troglodytes furvus+, _Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S._ 1869, p. 158

      (Conchitas); _iid. Nomencl._ p. 7; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1876, p.

      157, 1877, p. 32 (Chupat), p. 167 (Buenos Ayres), 1878, p. 392

      (Central Patagonia); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 593 (Buenos

      Ayres); _Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool._ p. 36 (Azul, R.

      Colorado, R. Negro). +Troglodytes platensis+, _Burm. La-Plata

      Reise_, ii. p. 476; _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 86

      (Concepcion). +Troglodytes musculus+, _Sharpe, Cat. B._ vi. p.

      255.

 

    _Description._--Above brown; the tail-feathers and outer webs of

    wing-feathers pencilled with dark wavy lines; beneath very pale

    brown; bill and feet horn-colour; eye brown: total length 4·8

    inches, wing 2·0, tail 1·7. _Female_ similar.

Fam. IV. (TROGLODYTIDÆ, or WRENS.0

 

The Troglodytidæ, or Wren family, are of wide distribution, and are

found alike under the tropics and in temperate latitudes. In South

America nearly 100 species altogether are known to occur. Of these two

are familiar inhabitants of the whole Argentine Republic, and a third,

belonging to the water-loving genus _Donacobius_, is met with in the

eastern provinces on the Paraná. A fourth species has been lately

described from Tucuman.

11. DONACOBIUS ATRICAPILLUS (Linn.). (BLACK-HEADED REED-WREN.)

 

+Donacobius atricapillus+, _Scl. Cat. A. B._ p. 16; _Scl. et Salv.

      Nomencl._ p. 5; _Sharpe, Cat. B._ vi. p. 364; _Burm. La-Plata

      Reise_, ii. p. 475. +Donacobius brasiliensis+, _d'Orb. Voy.,

      Ois._ p. 213 (Corrientes).

 

    _Description._--Above dark chocolate-brown; cap black; wings black,

    with a large white patch on the inner primaries; tail black; lateral

    rectrices broadly ended with