The Naturalist in La Plata | Page 9

other species,
which sometimes touch at the Bermudas when travelling, fly much
further than that without resting. The fact that a common Argentine
titlark, a non-migrant and a weak flyer, has been met with at the South
Shetland Islands, close to the antarctic continent, shows that the
journey may be easily accomplished by birds with strong flight; and
that even the winter climate of that unknown land is not too severe to
allow an accidental colonist, like this small delicate bird, to survive.
The godwit, already mentioned, has been observed in flocks at the
Falkland Islands in May, that is, three months after the same species
had taken its autumal departure from the neighbouring mainland. Can it
be believed that these late visitors to the Falklands were breeders in
Patagonia, and had migrated east to winter in so bleak a region? It is far
more probable that they came from the south. Officers of sailing ships
beating round Cape Horn might be able to settle this question definitely
by looking out, and listening at night, for flights of birds, travelling
north from about the first week in January to the end of February; and
in September and October travelling south. Probably not fewer than a
dozen species of the plover order are breeders on the great austral
continent; also other aquatic birds--ducks and geese; and many
Passerine birds, chiefly of the Tyrant family.
Should the long projected Australasian expedition to the South Polar
regions ever be carried to a successful issue, there will probably be
important results for ornithology, in spite of the astounding theory
which has found a recent advocate in Canon Tristram, that all life
originated at the North Pole, whence it spread over the globe, but never
succeeded in crossing the deep sea surrounding the antarctic continent,
which has consequently remained till now desolate, "a giant ash (and
ice) of death." Nor is it unlikely that animals of a higher class than
birds exist there; and the discovery of new mammalians, differing in
type from those we know, would certainly be glad tidings to most
students of nature.
Land birds on the pampas are few in species and in numbers. This may
be accounted for by the absence of trees and other elevations on which

birds prefer to roost and nest; and by the scarcity of food. Insects are
few in dry situations; and the large perennial grasses, which occupy
most of the ground, yield a miserable yearly harvest of a few minute
seeds; so that this district is a poor one both for soft and hard billed
birds. Hawks of several genera, in moderate numbers, are there, but
generally keep to the marshes. Eagles and vultures are somewhat
unworthily represented by carrion-hawks (Polyborinae); the lordly
carancho, almost eagle-like in size, black and crested, with a very large,
pale blue, hooked beak--his battle axe: and his humble follower and
jackal, the brown and harrier-like chimango. These nest on the ground,
are versatile in their habits, carrion-eaters, also killers on their own
account, and, like wild dogs, sometimes hunt in bands, which gives
them an advantage. They are the unfailing attendants of all
flesh-hunters, human or feline; and also furiously pursue and persecute
all eagles and true vultures that venture on that great sea of grass, to
wander thereafter, for ever lost and harried, "the Hagars and Ishmaels
of their kind."
The owls are few and all of wide-ranging species. The most common is
the burrowing-owl, found in both Americas. Not a retiring owl this, but
all day long, in cold and in heat, it stands exposed at the mouth of its
kennel, or on the vizcacha's mound, staring at the passer-by with an
expression of grave surprise and reprehension in its round yellow eyes;
male and female invariably together, standing stiff and erect, almost
touching--of all birds that pair for life the most Darby and Joan like.
Of the remaining land birds, numbering about forty species, a few that
are most attractive on account of their beauty, engaging habits, or large
size, may be mentioned here. On the southern portion of the pampas the
military starling (Sturnella) is found, and looks like the European
starling, with the added beauty of a scarlet breast: among resident
pampas birds the only one with a touch of brilliant colouring. It has a
pleasing, careless song, uttered on the wing, and in winter congregates
in great flocks, to travel slowly northwards over the plains. When thus
travelling the birds observe a kind of order, and the flock feeding along
the ground shows a very extended front--a representation in bird-life of
the "thin red line"--and advances by the hindmost birds constantly

flying over the others and alighting in the front ranks.
Among the tyrant-birds are several species of the beautiful
wing-banded genus, snow-white in