. Bird lore . ed, by many obvious and other moresubtle influences, of spring in the North Temperate Zone. The Red-breasted Trupials (Trupialis militaris) passed in straggling flockslike Robins returning to their roost, and their flight-note recalled that of aRobin, but their flight-song was more like that of a Meadowlark. One did notoften get a view of their brightly colored breast, but when seen it flashed like arailway signal. With the more familiar sights and sounds there were mingled others whichhad no place in ones memory of a spring at the North. Everywhere the gray Diuca Finches {Diuca
. Bird lore . ed, by many obvious and other moresubtle influences, of spring in the North Temperate Zone. The Red-breasted Trupials (Trupialis militaris) passed in straggling flockslike Robins returning to their roost, and their flight-note recalled that of aRobin, but their flight-song was more like that of a Meadowlark. One did notoften get a view of their brightly colored breast, but when seen it flashed like arailway signal. With the more familiar sights and sounds there were mingled others whichhad no place in ones memory of a spring at the North. Everywhere the gray Diuca Finches {Diuca diuca) were abundant. Whiletheir song bears a slight resemblance to that of our Rose-breasted Grosbeak,the birds themselves are quite unlike. The Diuca is doubtless the most abun-dant of Chilean land-birds. One sees it everywhere, along the roadsides, ontelegraph wires, in gardens, in the bush-covered foothills, in cages and in themarkets, for it is valued both as a pet and as a source of food. There is appar-. EL TURCO 338 Bird - Lore ently no law protecting the Diuca, and the Italian element in the Chileanpopulation traps it, as well as other small birds, by thousands. A visit to theSantiago market showed strings of Goldlinches, White-throats, Diucas, andThrushes which, plucked, were sold for about thirty cents a dozen. The Diucahowever, is apparently too well adapted to its environment to be perceptiblydiminished in numbers by the activities of market hunters. At Apoquindo, in the foothills of the Andes, about nine miles east of Santi-ago, I found more characteristic features of Chilean bird-life. Here there wasno cultivation and the scrubby vegetation occupied the slopes and ground was white with frost each morning, and the air was fresh andinvigorating. When the sun climbed from behind the Cordillera there was aringing chorus of spring song. The ever-present White-throats contributedtheir sweet, plaintive notes; Mockingbirds called sharply, chucker-chuck,chuc
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