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

BIRDS OP ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 299
wing, and short tail are observed. During sharp, frosty winter
mornings in the Chaco, as the first rays of the sun stretched with
pleasing warmth across the open prairies, these flycatchers often
uttered a little whistled song that could undoubtedely be readily set
to the scales used in human music by one versed in musical anno-
tation.
In Uruguay they were especially common along the country roads,
seeming in hot weather more sluggish than during the winter season.
In the warmer part of the day they chose perches on fence wires,
where their heads were in the shadow of a post. At rest they were
so inconspicuous as to be often overlooked. Near San Vicente they
were common in an extensive forest of palms where they appeared
to be nesting, though no nests were found. In the summer time I
heard them utter a faint swee.
TAENIOPTERA CORONATA (Vieillot)
Tyrannus Coronatus Vieillot, Tabl. Enc. M6th. Orn., vol. 2, 1823, p. 855.
(Paraguay.)
Two were secured at Victorica, Pampa, on December 26, 1920, an
adult male in worn breeding plumage, and another preserved in alco-
hol. The birds were encountered on this date in fair numbers scattered
through rolling pampa, where low bushes or small trees were
spread at intervals. They rested in the tops of bushes or occasionally
among open limbs in a tree, at intervals jerking the tail. The
flight was slow and direct and was performed with rapid beats of the
partly opened wings. The birds were silent.
The adult male taken had the bill and tarsus black; iris natal
brown.
TAENIOPTERA IRUPERO (Vieillot)
Tyrannus Irupero Vieillot, Tabl. Enc. Meth. Orn., vol. 2, 1823, p. 856.,
(Paraguay.)
Though Hudson has recorded this flycatcher as common through-
out the Argentina of his time, the species now seems restricted in
its range, as I did not find it in the open pampas. It was noted at
the following points: Los Amores, Santa Fe, to Charadrai, Chaco,
July 5, 1920 (seen from train at frequent intervals) ; Resistencia,
Chaco, July 9; Las Palmas, Chaco, July 13 to August 1; Riacho
Pilaga, Formosa, August 8, 14, and 21 ; Formosa, Formosa, August
23 and 24; Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, September 1 and 3; Kilometer
80, west of Puerto Pinasco, September 6 to 21 ; Victorica, PamjDa,
December 23 to 29 ; San Vicente, Uruguay, January 25 to February
2, 1921; Lazcano, Uruguay, February 3 to 9; Modesto Acuiia, Cor-
doba, March 31 (seen from train) ; Tapia, Tucuman, April T to
13. It will be noted that the species was not recorded during field