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

BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 183
tracted them, and also congregated on occasional newly plowed
fields. When one or two drop in to some feeding ground, others
that chance to pass decoy to them until in a comparatively short time
from 50 to 100 may be found in company. On the ground they
walk quickly with characteristic jerking, nervous, pigeon gait, pecking
at any food that may offer. When satisfied they leave, a few at
a time, to fly to water to drink, and then come stringing back
singly or in little groups. One or two may alight in low trees and
all that pass that way are sure to join them. Some of the birds
rest on open branches and others among leaves, where in spite of
their large size they are w^ell concealed. They usually gather in
close proximity where they may catch the warmth of the sun.
They flush with loudly clapping wings, but the ensuing flight
is noiseless. In the air their wings appear broad and heavy, and
only slightly pointed, so that with their short tails they have a
heavy, fore-shortened ap2:)earance. The flight was direct but only
moderately swift. The birds roosted somewhere to the south of the
ranch where I was stopping and during the day were observed
frequently, in early morning as they came from their roost, and
later as they passed to feeding grounds or watering places. They
are heavy in body and furnish an abundance of excellent meat.
At intervals I heard males give an odd call koh huh kwaoh^ given
rapidly four or five times, and then, after a brief rest, repeated
once more.
Others w^ere seen at Formosa, Formosa, on August 23 and 24
(perhaps of the following form), and at Kilometer 110, west of
Puerto Pinasco, I saw a number on September 23.
In Guarani they were known as picaztiro.
A male killed August 16 had the bill dawn gray with a wash
of fuscous at the tip; cere neutral gray obscured by a Avhitish,
flaky encrustation; bare skin about e^'e acajou red, save for the
lids which are Hathi gray, Avith the margin about the eye acajou
red; iris flesh ocher; scutes on tarsus and toes acajou red; nails
fuscous.
Since no one appears to have examined specimens of this pigeon
from Paraguay, the type-locality, as Temminck's description is
based on that of Azara, there is a reasonable doubt as to whether
birds from that region belong to the pale northern form, as was
assumed by Hartert when he described the dark southern bird as a
distinct subspecies. Should it prove true that it belongs to the
southern form it will be necessary to describe the northern bird.
In the present case I find that an adult male from the interior of
Formosa is paler than others from central Argentina and Uruguay.
Hence I identify it as the typical form.