Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 165
the species seemed rare in the Argentine Chaeo, perhaps because of
a lack of suitable range for it, as it was not found again until I
reached Kilometer 80, west of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, Avhere it
was recorded in small numbers about an open lagoon from Septem-
ber 6 to 21. A pair was taken September 6, and I noted that the
breeding season was near. Two were seen on the shore of a small
pond near Lavalle, Buenos Aires, November 13. The species was
common along the sandy beaches on the coast of southern Uruguay,
and in January was nesting. A number were recorded between Montevideo
and Carrasco, January 9, 1921, and east of Carrasco, January
16. Others w^ere seen at La Paloma in the Department of
Rocha, January 23. At this season all seemed to have well-grown
young but still showed much anxiety as I passed, and forced the
young to hide. The parents circled around me with low calls, their
light bodies often difficult to distinguish against the sky in the
brilliantly reflected light of the sun. The birds were found on the
outer beaches or through the bare dunes a short distance inland,
wdiere they ran about in scattered companies. The alarm note was
a sharp, metallic tsee and occasionally they uttered a slightly rolling
tur-r-r. In winter they were more silent and only uttered a low
whistled chajy or cherp as they rose and darted rapidly away. Near
Rio Negro, Uruguay, on February 18, while crossing an area of
high prairie where the soil was water-soaked from recent rains, I
found about 20 of these plover, both adult and young, and judged
that they had forsaken their coastal breeding grounds to wander
inland as the young were fully grown. All Avere very wild. On
March 3 I saAv two near Guamini on the open shore of the Laguna
del Monte. Two were recorded March 22 along the Rio Tunuyan at
Tunuyan, Mendoza, and on March 25, 26, and 28 I found several
in company with other shore birds along a small, muddy arroyo near
some extensive cienagas. The bed of this channel was sunk about 4
meters below the surrounding level and was barely 30 meters wide,
a greatly restricted area for these birds when the open areas that
they frequent ordinarily are considered. A female was taken here
March 25. At Concon, Chile, April 25, about 25 were found on a
sandy beach and when flushed flew off in close flock formation.
In general habits this species suggests the snowy plover, but seldom
runs for such long distances as is the habit of that species.
CHARADRIUS FALKLANDICUS Latham
Charadritis falklandiciis Latham Index Orn., vol. 2, 1790, p. 747. (Falk-
land Islands.)
The Falkland plover is easily distinguished in the field from companion
species by the two distinct bands on the breast. One was
seen on the shore of the Rio de la Plata near Berazategiii, Buenos
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