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

BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 235
rapidly about, perhaps to prevent the insects from climbing into its
feathers.
XIPHOCOLAPTES MAJOR MAJOR (Vieillot)
Dendrocopus major Vibzillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 26, 1818, p. 118.
(Paraguay.)
Individuals of this species were seen twice near Las Palmas,
Chaco, during the first part of July, 1920, but none were collected
until I arrived at the Riacho Pilaga, Formosa. Two secured there,
on August 18, 1920, were the only ones seen. At Kilometer 80, west
of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, two were taken on September 15 and
another on September 17. The skins preserved, while somewhat
variable in color, have the abdomen distinctly barred so that they
show no approach to X. m. castaneus, described by Ridgway from
Bolivia, in which the abdomen is said to be plain. A skin from the
interior of Formosa is decidedly darker above than three from
Paraguay. One of the latter, however, is much deeper in color below
than any of the others, so that variation in shade of brown seems
to be an individual character.
In accordance with Azara's observations I did not find the present
species common, though it was recorded on several occasions. The
birds were found in or near the heavier timber in the Chaco, and
from my limited records seem to feed to a considerable extent on the
ground, Avhere the groves were fairly open and the vegetation below
not too dense. Often they were restricted in such haunts to the
borders of trails or cattle paths. When flushed they flew up to
cling to a tree trunk sometimes near the ground and again among
the higher branches where their attitude and actions were similar
in a way to those of a woodpecker. When clinging in this fashion
the feet usually were placed wide apart, and the bird progressed in
a series of long hitches, with the head and neck erect. They seemed
to range in pairs, though none of those taken were breeding. One
that I wounded called harshly, while its mate appeared a few feet
away to call kway kivay in an inquiring tone. The birds are heavily
muscled and in form are robust. Many of the tendons in the muscles
of the lower leg are more or less ossified, so that in preparing skins
it is noticeably difficult to cut them.
An adult male, taken September 17, had the tip of the bill dark
neutral gray, shading on median portion of maxilla to light-grayish
olive ; rest of maxilla and mandible light neutral gray ; iris vinaceous
rufous ; tarsus and toes between deep and dark olive gray.
Near Puerto Pinasco those who spoke the Guarani tongue called
this species uravo-vahi.