Volume Ii Part 25 (2/2)

Z. S._ 1870, p. 666, pl. x.x.xviii.; _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p.

130; _iid. P. Z. S._ 1868, p. 146 (Buenos Ayres), 1869, p. 157, et 1876, p. 392; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1878, p. 64 (Buenos Ayres) et p. 401 (Patagonia); _White, P. Z. S._ 1883, p. 42 (Buenos Ayres); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 274 (Entrerios).

_Description._--Above brown; feathers black in the centre and margined with brown; head above bright rufous spotted with black; wings brown, with a large speculum of bronzy black, distinctly margined above and below with buff: beneath, throat dirty white, sparingly spotted with black; breast, flanks, and crissum tinged with rufous, the feathers with black centres; belly white, in the lower portion slightly varied with brown; bill black, at the base yellow; feet plumbeous: whole length 190 inches, wing 97, tail 55. _Female_ similar.

_Hab._ Southern Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, Chili, and Patagonia.

The Brown Pintail is the commonest Duck in the Argentine Republic, and unites in the largest flocks. It is also, according to Philippi and Landbeck, the commonest species in Chili. It ranges from South Brazil and Peru to the Magellan Straits and the Falklands; but is probably most abundant in the Plata district and in North Patagonia. In the autumn it sometimes visits the pampas in immense numbers, to feed on the seed of the giant thistle (_Carduus mariana_); and on these occasions I have known as many as sixty killed at one shot. The birds, however, soon become wary when feeding on the open plains in large flocks, and it then becomes impossible to approach them without a trained horse. The Ducks pay no attention to horses and cattle browsing near them; and the trained animal, with the gunner concealing his gun and person behind it, feeds quietly along, and gradually approaches the flock until within range. In the valley of the Rio Negro, in Patagonia, the Pintails sometimes cause serious damage to the farmers, coming up in clouds from the river by night to devour the ripe grain.

In favourable seasons the Pintail is a resident; but like the marsh-gulls, pigeons, the American golden plover, and all birds that live and move in immense bodies, it travels often and far in search of food or water. A season of scarcity will quickly cause them to disappear from the pampas; and sometimes, after an absence of several months, a day's rain will end with the familiar sound of their cry and the sight of their long trains winging their way across the darkening heavens.

Their nest is made on the ground, under the gra.s.s or thistles, at a distance from the water, and is plentifully lined with down plucked from the bosom of the sitting bird. The eggs are seven or eight in number and of a deep cream-colour.

351. DAFILA BAHAMENSIS (Linn.).

(BAHAMA PINTAIL.)

+Anas bahamensis+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 515 (Rio Uruguay).

+Dafila bahamensis+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 130; _iid. P.

Z. S._ 1868, p. 146 (Buenos Ayres), et 1876, p. 393; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 192 (Buenos Ayres); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 274 (Carhue, Pampas); _Burm. P. Z. S._ 1872, p. 367.

_Description._--Above reddish, brown; feathers with their centres blackish; lower back blackish; upper tail-coverts and tail fawn-colour; wings dark slaty black; broad speculum bronzy green, margined above and below by a fawn-coloured band, the lower band with an interior black margin; edgings of the external secondaries fawn-colour: beneath brownish fawn-colour, entirely covered with obsolete black spots; throat and cheeks and front neck pure white; bill black, with a red spot at the base on each side; feet brown: whole length 180 inches, wing 84, tail 50. _Female_ similar.

_Hab._ South America.

The Bahama Duck, as it is commonly called, though it is very doubtful whether it really occurs in the Bahama Islands, is found throughout South America from British Guiana to Patagonia; and Burmeister says that it is spread over the whole of Brazil, and that it is nearly the commonest species of Duck in that country.

On the pampas of Buenos Ayres this Duck is not a common bird. It is usually seen in pairs, or, on rare occasions, three or four together.

352. MARECA SIBILATRIX (Poepp.).

(CHILOE WIGEON.)

+Anas chiloensis+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 517 (Mendoza).

+Mareca chiloensis+, _Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S._ 1869, p. 635 (Buenos Ayres); _iid. Nomencl._ p. 130. +Mareca sibilatrix+, _Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S._ 1876, p. 395; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p.

41 (Chupat), p. 192 (Buenos Ayres), et 1878, p. 401 (Central Patagonia); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 274 (Bahia Blanca).

_Description._--Above black, on the neck barred across with white; feathers of the back and scapularies margined with white; head above and cheeks pure white; nape and back of the neck s.h.i.+ning greenish purple; wings brown, lesser wing-coverts white; secondaries velvety black, white at the base: beneath white, throat and fore neck blackish; upper breast black, with narrow white cross bands; flanks stained with rusty rufous; bill and feet black: whole length 200 inches, wing 103, tail 43. _Female_ similar, but not so bright in colour.

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

The Chiloe Wigeon, as this Duck has been usually called since its introduction and acclimatization in England, is the only species of the genus found in South America, and is most abundant on the pampas, where it is called by the country people _Pato picaso_ or _Pato overo_ (piebald duck), or _Chirivi_ from its cry. It is a very handsome bird; the upper plumage variegated with black, white, and grey; forehead, speculum, and under surface white; head and neck dark glossy green. It is resident, and is usually seen in small flocks of from a dozen to twenty birds, but sometimes as many as one or two hundred congregate together. They are wary and loquacious, strong on the wing, and frequently engage in a peculiar kind of aerial pastime. A small flock will rise to a vast height, often until they seem mere specks on the sky, or disappear from sight altogether; and at that great alt.i.tude they continue hovering or flying, sometimes keeping very nearly in the same place for an hour or more, alternately separating and closing, and every time they close they slap each other on the wing so smartly that the sound may be heard distinctly even when the birds are no longer visible.

While flying or swimming about they constantly utter their far-sounding cry--three or four long, clear, whistling notes, followed by another uttered with great emphasis and concluding with a kind of flourish.

The nest is made amongst the rushes in the marshes, and the eggs are pure white and eight or nine in number.

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