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

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326 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM<br />

currence and appeared to gather in little scattered colonies, as many<br />

exten<strong>si</strong>ve areas of suitable growth were not inhabited by them.<br />

They were sh}'^ and apprehen<strong>si</strong>ve, so that it was often difficult to<br />

approach them. Their custom was to clamber about among the rush<br />

stalks, where their long legs fitted them for progress, or occa<strong>si</strong>onally<br />

to fly across little openings with slightly tilting, but direct flight,<br />

performed with head erect and rapidly flitting wings. The white<br />

in wing and tail are prominent in flight. Occa<strong>si</strong>onally they de-<br />

scended to run about on little mud bars at the bases of clumps of<br />

cat-tails.<br />

They were first recorded at Dolores, Buenos Aires, on October<br />

21, 1920, when two were seen. Near Lavalle, in the same Province,<br />

they were found casually on October 30, November 2 and 9, but were<br />

not common. On March 26, and 28, 1921, a number were recorded<br />

near Tunuyan, Mendoza, in the rush-grown marshes known as<br />

cienagas. They were found here in little family parties, and, though<br />

shy, were tolled out by squeaking from concealment among the cattails.<br />

Near Concon, Chile, April 28, one was seen, and on the day<br />

following one was brought by a boy as, in company with Dr.<br />

E. P. Keed, I was about to leave for Valparaiso.<br />

LEPTOPOGON AMAUROCEPHALUS Cabanis<br />

Leptopogon amaurocephalus Cabanis, Arch. Naturg., vol. 1, 1847, p. 251.<br />

(Brazil.)<br />

On July 21, 1920, at Las Palmas, Chaco, an adult female Leptofogon<br />

was killed in dense brush near the Rio Quia. The bird<br />

hopped about actively under cover of the branches, or paused to<br />

rest for con<strong>si</strong>derable intervals on hidden perches. In this specimen,<br />

when first taken, the extreme base of the mandible was tilleul buif<br />

rest of bill black; iris natal brown; tarsus and toes fuscous.<br />

With only three specimens of L. amaurocephalus at hand, I do<br />

not care to express an opinion as to the forms into which this<br />

species may be divided. The specimen from Las Palmas, which<br />

has the wing 65.2 mm. long, is slightly deeper and richer in color<br />

throughout than a skin from Victorica, Sao Paulo, or the type of<br />

icastus Oberholser ^^ from Sapucay, Paraguay. Chubb " has indicated<br />

that specimens from Sapucay do not differ from others from<br />

Brazil.<br />

CAMPTOSTOMA OBSOLETUM OBSOLETUM (Temminck)<br />

Muscwapa ohsoleta Temminck, Nouv. Roc. Planch. Col. Oiseaux, vol. 3,.<br />

1838, pi. 275, fig. 1. (Curytiba, Parana, Brazil.")<br />

Five males, one shot at Ee<strong>si</strong>stencia, Chaco, July 8, 1920, one from<br />

Laguna Wall, 200 kilometers west of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay,<br />

i-Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 14, Dec. 12, 1901, p. 187.<br />

'"Ibis, 1910, p. 582.<br />

i» Nov. Zool., vol. 15, June, 1908, p. 43.<br />

;

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