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

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

a low tree. The song period began, in Paraguay, the first of October,<br />

and extended to the time of molt in February. Their usual call note<br />

was a low pup pup varied with several louder, laughing calls that<br />

were heard especially toward dusk. On a fall evening in April,<br />

as J. L. Peters and I descended a trail on the slopes of the Sierra<br />

San Xavier, in Tucuman, robins called and answered on every <strong>si</strong>de<br />

from the heavily forested slopes. In spite of their retiring habits<br />

the birds were curious, so that it was easy to call them out and shoot<br />

what specimens were wanted. On several occa<strong>si</strong>ons they were<br />

observed feeding on wild fruits, once (at E,e<strong>si</strong>stencia, Chaco) on<br />

the berries of Rapanea laetevirens. The species is one that is hunted<br />

to some extent and will need protection to maintain it in its pres-<br />

ent abundance.<br />

A nest, found October 30 (at Los Yngleses), was placed in a tala<br />

tree 4 feet from the ground, where several small shoots projecting<br />

from the <strong>si</strong>de of the trunk (which was 12 inches in diameter) furnished<br />

a firm support. The nest was made of the dried stalks of<br />

weeds mixed with a small quantity of fresh green material, and was<br />

lined with rootlets. A rim made of cow dung ran part around, but<br />

there was no complete cup of such material. This nest contained<br />

three eggs of the thrush, and three of those of the common cowbird<br />

{Molothrus h. honariends) . The thrushes' eggs have the ground<br />

color much paler than pale Niagara green, blotched and spotted with<br />

brick red and chestnut brown. Two of the eggs are boldly marked<br />

over the entire surface. The other has small, scattered spots<br />

throughout, with heavy markings at the larger pole. These eggs<br />

measure 28.7 by 21.4; 28.7 by 4; and 28.5 by 20.9 mm. Another nest,<br />

examined November 10, that contained one egg, had a solid cup of<br />

hardened earth that contained the nest lining.<br />

TURDUS MAGELLANICUS PEMBERTONI Wetmore<br />

Turdus magellanicus pem'bertoni Wetmore, Univ. Califoruia Publ. Zool.,<br />

vol. 21, no. 12, June 16, 1923, p. 335. (Cerro Anecon Grande, Rio<br />

Negro, Argentina.)<br />

The present form is distinguished from T. m. magellanicus by<br />

grayer coloration both above and below, .a distinction ea<strong>si</strong>ly evident<br />

when series are compared. Hellmayr'*^ con<strong>si</strong>ders magellanicus as<br />

subspecifically allied to T. falcMandii from the Falkland Islands,<br />

but, though the two are evidently of the same stock, difference between<br />

them, in my opinion, is sufficiently great to warrant their<br />

specific separation.<br />

This bird, which might with propriety be known as the willow<br />

robin, was fairly common in the groves of large willows bordering<br />

«Nov. Zool., vol. 28, September, 1921, p. 238.

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