64 Mr. H. Durnford on the Birds of 



ground they stand in an exceedingly upright position. The 

 Ducks supplied to the ships and steamboats in the port are 

 principally of this species, and a large number are disposed 

 of in this way. 



30. Dendrocygna viduata (Linn.) ; Nomencl. p. 129. 



I have never shot this bird ; but it is brought into the 

 market in the winter in large numbers from the south, where 

 it must be numerous at this season. Beak and legs black. 



31. Anas melanocephala, Vieill. ; Nomencl. p. 129. 

 Rare : the only time I have met with this Duck was on 



the 9th September 1876, whilst shooting in the reed-beds at 

 Alvear, about twenty miles to the N.W. of Buenos Ayres, 

 where I flushed a male and female, and shot the latter. Iris 

 wood-brown. 



32. QuERQUEDULA brasiliensis (Gm.); Ibis, 1877, p. 192. 

 On the 29th October 1876, whilst endeavouring to get at 



a nest of Conurus patagonus in a steep " barranca,'^ about 

 twenty miles to the north-west of Buenos Ayres, two of these 

 Ducks flew from a cleft in the clifi" about eighteen feet from 

 the ground. Though we were unable to reach the spot, I have 

 no doubt they were nesting here, and I subsequently observed 

 two more birds on the top of the clifl^. 



33. Dafila spinicauda (Vieill.) ; Ibis, 1877, p. 192. 



On the 19th November 1876 I met with a brood of these 

 Ducks in the Las Conchas, near Moreno. On coming upon 

 them unexpectedly, quietly reposing on the water with their 

 mother, the latter immediately feigned lameness, to draw me 

 away. I had to strip and plunge into the stream, and after 

 hard work, swimming for nearly an hour, secured four; the 

 brood consisted of about ten. 



Head above dull brown, lightest towards the base of the 

 upper mandible, sides grey. Behind the eye is a short white 

 streak, beneath this a rufous -brown streak, and lower still 

 grey. Back and tail dull brown, tips of the feathery down 

 on the wings white. Upper part of chest inclining to pale 

 rufous, remainder of chest, throat, and stomach white. Flanks 



