Volume Ii Part 25 (1/2)

(GREY TEAL.)

+Querquedula versicolor+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 129; _iid. P.

Z. S._ 1868, p. 146 (Buenos Ayres), et 1876, p. 388; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 191 (Buenos Ayres), et 1878, p. 401 (Patagonia); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 274 (Entrerios). +Anas maculirostris+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 516 (Mendoza). +Querquedula maculirostris+, _Burm. P. Z. S._ 1872, p. 367.

_Description._--Above grey, with narrow black cross bands, which are more numerous and narrower on the rump; top of head smoky brown, sides of head and throat white; abdomen whitish, tinged with ochraceous and spotted with black on the breast, more whitish and with numerous cross bands on the belly; wings externally greyish brown; speculum purplish green, margined, with white above and below, also with a subterminal black band; flanks distinctly barred across with black and white; bill black, with an orange blotch each side at the base of the mandible; feet hazel: whole length 165 inches, wing 76, tail 34. _Female_ similar, but colour duller and wing-speculum not so bright.

_Hab._ Paraguay, Argentina, Patagonia, and Chili.

This prettily variegated blue-grey Teal with its strongly marked bill is perhaps the most abundant of the genus in the Argentine Republic, especially in the southern portion. It is resident, and unites in much larger flocks than any other bird of this group in the country. Its note when disturbed or flying is very peculiar, resembling in sound the m.u.f.fled stridulating of the mole-cricket. Durnford found it common and breeding at Baradero.

348. QUERQUEDULA TORQUATA (Vieill.).

(RING-NECKED TEAL.)

+Querquedula torquata+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 129; _iid. P. Z.

S._ 1869, p. 635 (Buenos Ayres), et 1876, p. 389; _Burm. P. Z.

S._ 1872, p. 367 (Parana).

_Description._--Above earthy brown; head above and neck, which expands into a half-collar, together with the lesser wing-coverts, lower back, and tail above, black; scapulars pure chestnut; wings brownish black, with a large white blotch on the coverts of the secondaries, which are themselves bronzy green: beneath, sides of head and throat dirty white streaked with brown; breast tinged with rosy red and sparingly spotted with black; belly and flanks white, very narrowly barred with grey; crissum black, with a white blotch on each side: whole length 140 inches, wing 72, tail 27.

_Female_: brown; superciliaries and stripe on each side of the head with the throat and sides of the neck white: beneath white, banded across with brown; wings and tail black; secondaries bronzy green; wings with a white blotch as in the male; bill reddish; feet brown.

_Hab._ Paraguay and Argentina.

This beautiful Duck, for our first knowledge of which we are indebted to Azara, is rather scarce in collections. Azara described the two somewhat dissimilar s.e.xes under different names, the male being his _Pato collar negro_, and the female his _Pato ceja blanca_.

In the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres the Ring-necked Teal is strictly migratory, and in the month of October appears in small flocks in the marshes along the river; but in the interior of the country it is seldom met with. They are extremely active birds, constantly flying about from place to place both by day and night; and in the love-season, when they alight in a pool of water, the males immediately engage in a spirited combat. While flying they utter a peculiar jarring sound, and occasionally a quacking note, rapidly repeated and sounding like a strange laugh; but on the water, especially in the evening, the male emits a long inflected note, plaintive and exquisitely pure in sound--a more melodious note it would be difficult to find even among the songsters.

349. QUERQUEDULA BRASILIENSIS (Gm.).

(BRAZILIAN TEAL.)

+Anas brasiliensis+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 517 (Parana, Tuc.u.man). +Querquedula brasiliensis+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 129; _iid. P. Z. S._ 1869, p. 635 (Buenos Ayres), et 1876, p. 390; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 192, et 1878, p. 64 (Buenos Ayres); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 273 (Entrerios); _Burm. P. Z.

S._ 1872, p. 368.

_Description._--Above brown; head more rufous; lower back, tail, and lesser wing-coverts black; wings brownish black; outer webs of the inner primaries and the secondaries s.h.i.+ning bronzy green; broad tips of the outer secondaries white, divided from the green colour by a black band: beneath paler, washed on the breast with rusty red; throat whitish; belly slightly banded with brown; bill blackish; feet red: whole length 155 inches, wing 70, tail 33.

_Hab._ South America.

This richly coloured Teal, which is widely extended in South America from Guiana down to the Straits of Magellan, is usually met with in pairs near Buenos Ayres, although as many as five or six are sometimes seen together. In habits it is a tree duck, preferring water-courses in the neighbourhood of woods, and is frequently seen perched on horizontal branches. The flight is slow and with the wings very much depressed, as in a duck about to alight on the water; and the beautiful blue, green, and white speculum is thus rendered very conspicuous. The note of the male in the love-season is a long plaintive whistle, singularly pure and sweet in sound, and heard usually in the evening.

It is a rather curious coincidence that the vernacular name of this Teal in La Plata should be _Pato Portugues_, which means, as things are understood in that region, Brazilian Duck.

350. DAFILA SPINICAUDA (Vieill.).

(BROWN PINTAIL.)

+Anas spinicauda+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 515 (Parana). +Anas oxyura+, _Burm. ibid._ (Mendoza). +Dafila spinicauda+, _Scl. P.