among the shady trees of the promenades; has a better song than our Blackbird, which is heard at
a distance, especially in the evening. Called t Crispin ’ in Tucuman ” (La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 474,
1862).
Mr. E. W. White (P. Z. S. 1882, p. 593) remarks:—“ 1 have noticed this bird in the provinces
of Mendoza, San Juan, San Luis, Cordova, and Catamarca, where it is much esteemed as a cage-bird
on account of its beautiful whistle. In Mendoza it goes by the name of ‘ Sorsal,’ in Catamarca and
Cordova by that of ‘ Merlo, and in Andalgala ‘ Chocoyno ’; in the last-mentioned place it is seen
generally about the hedges round the town. In Catamarca, however, it is only observed during
winter and spring. The Italians settled in the town of Mendoza are very fond of its flesh, and are
rapidly exterminating it in that neighbourhood.”
The species has also been sent from the Pampas Argentinas by Leybold (of. Martins, J. f. O.
1875, p. 443). A specimen said to have been obtained by Mr. T. Bridges in Chile is in the British
Museum, but in all probability this locality is erroneous, and the example really came from Bolivia,
where Mr. Bridges also made large collections. Mr. E. C. Reed (Ibis, 1893, p. 596) says that
although the species is found near Mendoza he has never seen any Chilian specimens.
Adult male. General colour above blackish-chocolate, darker towards the crown and hind-neck;
wings and tail dark brown; Tores, sides of face, and ear-coverts blackish; entire under surface of
body blackish-chocolate, the under wing-coverts and axillaries like the breast: “ bill and feet bright
yellow; iris reddish-brown; eyelids bright yellow” (A. VOrligwy). Total length 11 inches,
culmen 1*45, wing 5*5, tail 4*65, tarsus 1*55.
Adult female. Slaty-grey above and below, lighter on the under surface, especially on the throat,
which has some blackish streaks; under wing-coverts and axillaries ochreous-brown. Total length
10 inches, culmen 1*2, wing 5*25, tail 4*4, tarsus 1*4.
Young. Greyer than the adults below and lighter brown above; the underparts mottled with
buff centres to the feathers, which have also blackish margins ; the under wing-coverts oehraceous-buff,
with dusky edges.
The birds from the Argentine Republic differ from those of Mendoza in having a shorter bill
and in being lighter and greyer in colour, but some examples from Mendoza cannot be distinguished
from those from Argentina.
A male tom Cosquin (E. W. White, July 17, 1882) has the culmen only 1*15 inch. The
plumage is not nearly so black as in the male bird from Mendoza, and there are hoary-grey margins
to the primaries ; below it is decidedly more ashy than the Mendoza individual described, especially
on the sides of the body.
A female from Cosquin (E. W. White, Aug. 15, 1882) is much more ashy-brown than the male,
but has the hoary .fringes along the outer Web of the primaries. The chin is hoary-grey, and there
are traces of dusky blackish stripes on the sides of the throat. Culmen 1*1 inch.
Two female birds obtained by Mr. White at Fuente de Andalgala, in Catamarca (Sept. 10, 1880),
have the culmen 1*15 inch. They axe also ashy-brown like the one procured in August, and have
obsolete signs of dark streaks on the throat.
Mr. Seebqhm states that the fourth and fifth primaries are nearly equal and longest, and that
the second primary is about equal to the eighth. I find, however, that in the series in the British
Museum the second primary is equal to the seventh and is much longer than the eighth.
The male bird described is a specimen from Mendoza in the Seebohm Collection ; the. female
being from San Rafael in the same province, obtained in July 1897, and presented to the British
Museum by Professor Moreno. [ B B S ] '