(D'ORBIGNY'S SEED-SNIPE.)
+Thinocorus orbignyanus+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 500; _Scl.
et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 144; _Tacz. Orn. Pér._ iii. p. 281.
_Description._--Above yellowish brown, streaked and marbled
with black; wing-feathers blackish with lighter edgings, inner
secondaries like the back; back and sides of neck grey: beneath
white; throat white, surrounded by a narrow black band; breast grey,
joining the grey neck, and bordered beneath by a narrow black band;
bill brown, tip black; feet yellow, claws black: whole length 8·0
inches, wing 5·5, tail 3·0. _Female_: above like the male, but
without the grey neck: beneath white, sides of neck and breast like
the back; throat white.
_Hab._ Western Peru, Bolivia, Chili, and Western Argentina.
Dr. Burmeister met with examples of this Seed-Snipe, which is easily
distinguishable from the preceding species by its larger size, in the
high valleys of the Sierra of Uspallata, at an elevation of about 6000
feet above the sea-level. It is called "Guancho" by the natives after
its peculiar call-note, which, however, sounded more like "Tulco" to Dr.
Burmeister, and is often heard at night-time.
This Seed-Snipe is also found in Peru at high elevations in the Puna
region (12,000 to 14,000 feet), where M. Jelski obtained its eggs. A
description of them with some interesting notes on the habits of the
species are given in Taczanowski's 'Ornithologie du Pérou.'
Fam. XLIX. SCOLOPACIDÆ, or SNIPES.
Like the Plovers, the Snipes are nearly universally distributed over the
world's surface, though most abundant in northern regions. Of about 35
Neotropical species 15 are known to occur in the Argentine Republic, and
many additions to the list of these wandering birds may be reasonably
expected.
Of the fifteen Scolopacidæ already recognized as occurring within our
limits, all but three are Arctic species, which only visit the far south
during their migrations. The three exceptions are the Brazilian Stilt
(_Himantopus brasiliensis_), the Paraguay Snipe (_Gallinago
paraguaiæ_), and the Painted Snipe (_Rhynchæa semicollaris_), which are
resident all the year in the Argentine Republic.