is common in La Plata, the Falkland Islands, and Tierra del Fuego ; in the latter
it frequents the higher parts of the mountains, or those exposed to the western
gales, which are free from forests, for it is a bird that exclusively lives in open
countries and on the ground. I believe it is not found in Chile ; nor is it common
on the coast of Patagonia. This species in its habits is very different from the
three following closely allied ones, since the latter never, or most rarely, leave the
sea beach, whilst this bird, excepting by chance, is never seen there, but always
ill the interior country. Nevertheless with this marked difference in habits, (there
are several other points beside that of the station frequented), if the preserved
skins of O. parvulus and O. vulgaris were placed in the hands of any one, even
perhaps of a practised ornithologist, he would at first hesitate to consider them
distinct, although upon closer examination he would find many points of difference,—
of which the much greater strength of the feet and the greater length of
the tarsus are conspicuous in those species, which live amongst the stones on the
sea beach.
2 . O p e t io r h y n c h u s P a t a g o n ic u s . G. R . Gray.
Patagonian Warbler, Lath. Syn. iv. p. 434.
MotaciUa Patagónica, Gmel.
Motacilla Gracula, Forst. Draw. No. 160.
Sylvia Patagónica, Lath. Index, ii. 517.
Furnarius Lessonii, Dumont.
- Cbilensis, Less. Toy. de la Coqu. i. p. 671, n. Tr. d’Omith. p. 307, pi. 75, f. 1.
Opetiorhynchus rupestris, K ittl. Mem. de I’Acad. St. Petersb. i. p. 188, pi. viii.
Uppucerthia rupestris, D'Orb. «5’ Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1838, p. 21.
This bird is extremely common on the sea shore of all the bays and channels
of Tierra del Fuego ; on the western coast it is replaced in Northern Chile by the
O. nigrofumosus, and in the Falkland Islands by the O. antarcticus. As the
habits of this species and those just named are quite similar, I shall describe
them all together under the head of O. nigrofumosus. A specimen of O. P a ta gonicus
from Chiloe has a bill rather more than two-tenths of an inch longer than
in those from Tierra del Fuego ; but as no other difference can be perceived, I
cannot allow that this is a specific character any more than in the case of the
Uppucerthia.
3 . O p e t i o r h y n c h u s a n t a r c t ic u s . G. R . Gray.
Ccrthia antárctica. Gam. Ann. des Sc. Nat. 1826.
Furnarius fuliginosus. Less. Voy. de la Coqu. Zool. i. p. 670.
Patagonian Warbler, Lath. $ in Dixon’s Toy. App. No. 1, 359 and pi.
This species inhabits the Falkland Islands. My specimens were procured at