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

BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 401
rested motionless as though made of wood. During summer males
sang from the tops of low trees, an emphatic song in phrasing and
pleasant sound like that of an indigo bunting. It was similar also
to the notes of Sicalis pelzeini, but without the shrillness characteristic
of that species. A female was seen feeding nearly grown
joung January 23.
An adult male, taken July 10, had the bill grape green, verging
to duslc^ at tip, with a tinge of yellowish on tomia and toward
base ; iris bone brown ; tarsus blackish brown number 1.
SPOROPHILA MELANOCEPHALA MELANOCEPHALA (Vieillot)
Coccothraustes melanocephala Vieiixot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 13,
p. 542. (Paraguay.)
At Las Palmas, Chaco, adult male and adult and immature females
were taken July 22, 1920, and another adult male on July 23. Near
Kilometer 80, Avest of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, an immature male
was shot September 8 and an adult female on September 17. These
are identified in accordance with Hellmayr's review of the species.^
I have not seen specimens of /S. m. ochrascens Hellmayr described
therein (p. 534, type from "Rio Parana," taken by Natterer).
These little seed-eaters were found in heavy gi'owths of weeds or
other vegetation bordering lagoons, or occasionally in more open pas-
tures. They flushed from heavy cover to fly with quickly tilting
flight to safer distances, displaying the chestnut-marked rump promi-
nently. Their call was a low jyvee free. They share with S. caeru-
lescens the Spanish name of corhatita.
CATAMENIA ANALIS (d'Orbigny and Lafresnaye)
lAnaria analis cI'Orbigny and Lafeesnaye, Mag. Zool., 1837, cl. 2, p. S3.
(Sicasica, Cochabamba, Bolivia.)
A male in molt was taken near Potrerillos, Mendoza, ISIarch 18,
1921, and others were seen the following day. Another Avas secured
among low sand hills east of the Rio Tunuyan, near Tunuyan, Mendoza,
March 27. Little flocks of these small birds frequented weed
patches near irrigation ditches or small streams, or were found on
the rock-strewn slopes above, sometimes among low bushes. The
black and white markings of wings and tail were displayed promi-
nently^ when on the wing- Their flight was undulating, like that of
a siskin or goldfinch, while their soft notes suggested those birds
rather than seed-eaters. Like many others of the small bird inhabi-
tants of the hills, they w^ere often very shy.
iVerl). K. K. Zool.-Bot. G( s. Wim, 1904. pp. 5.'!;5-534.