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

206 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
taining from 40 to 200 individuals, but the bird in my experience
was so rare that to see an individual was a treat, while a flock of
a dozen gathered by some condition of favorable food left a thrill
that is still remembered. At Formosa, Formosa, on August 23, 1920,
one passed down the Paraguay Kiver at dusk, evidently the first of
the spring migrants. Others passed Kilometer 80, west of Puerto
Pinasco, Paraguay, on September 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, all bound southward
in evening, or once in early morning after a storm. The
migration ceased abruptly before there was opportunity to secure
specimens, and in work in the pampas I failed to find the birds, until
on February 7 at Lazcano, Uruguay, one passed the patio of the
hotel on the evening of February 7. At Rio Negro, Uruguay, from
February 13 to 17, the species was present in fair numbers and a
male was collected on February 16. Another was taken on the following
day. In early evening iiacundas hawked about high in air, but
at dusk circled low over patches of weeds at the edge of town, at-
tracted by myriads of beetles that filled the air. On the 16th I
watched for them at the border of a small lagoon, and, after one or
two alarms from teru terus coming in silently to roost, was rewarded
by the sight of a goatsucker hawking low over the grass. In a few
minutes I had the bird in my hand where I could admire the beau-
tiful contrast of color in the plumage and the large, lustrous eyes.
The wings in this species are short and the body heavy, so that
at times it presents an owllike appearance. The birds quarter back
and forth when feeding like nighthawks, and though strong fliers
are not as graceful on the wing as birds of that group. They are
strong in body and often difficult to kill. When thej^ alight they may
stand erect for a moment to look about and then sink to the crouch-
ing position ordinary to goatsuckers. The leg is long and fairly
strong, and in one taken the feet were very muddy, an indication
that the birds walk about more or less, as might be supposed from
the structure of their legs. As they flush from the ground they
may give a low rattling call and a wing-tipped bird opened its mouth
threateningly and hissed like a nighthawk in similar condition.
Near Rivas, Buenos Aires, eight were noted while passing in a
train on March 11,
Family ALCEDINIDAE
MEGACERYLE TORQUATA TORQUATA (Linnaeus)
Alcedo torgiMta Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 180. (Mexico.)"
Two specimens of the ringed kingfisher, both males, taken, respec-
tively, on July 17, 1920 at Las Palmas, Chaco, and August 16 at
" See Berlepsch and Hartert, Nov. Zool., vol. 9, April, 1902, p. 104.