the Province of Buenos Ayres. 65 



grey. Beak dark olive, tip lighter, and under mandible lighter 

 than tip. Legs, feet, and claws olive. I imagine these chicks 

 to have been about eight days old. 



34. Spatula platalea (Vieill.) ; Nomencl. p. 130. 

 Partially resident and common. Perhaps the easiest Duck 



to approach, and considered of little value for the table. 

 Generally distributed. This bird was accidentally omitted 

 from my last communication. 



35. Metopiana peposaca (Vieill.) ; Ibis, 1877, p. 192. 

 The day before Christmas day of last year, whilst working 



through an extensive reed-bed, about fifteen miles to the north- 

 west of Buenos Ayres, I found a nest o£ this bird, from which 

 I flushed the female. It was made of dead rushes, warmly 

 lined with down, and placed about six inches above the water. 

 The eggs were ten in number, of the usual DucVs-egg colour, 

 and measure 2*350 x 1"7 inch. 



From all I can learn in this country, Dafila spinicauda, 

 Mareca sibilatrix, Querquedula versicolor, and Querqiiedula 

 flavirostris, all nest on the ground, generally under a clump 

 of thistles, whilst Metopiana peposaca nests in reed-beds and 

 similar places, and builds its nest just above the water. 



36. CoLUMBA piCAZURo, Tcmm. ; Nomencl. p. 132. 



My Columba maculosa (Ibis, 1877, p. 193) should doubtless 

 be C. picazuro, as suggested by the Editors in a footnote. 



37. Rallus maculatus, Bodd. ; Nomencl. p. 139. 



A single bird was taken in a field of clover whilst mowing 

 was going on at Rivadavia, on the banks of the Plata, and 

 about seven miles N.W. of Buenos Ayres. It lived for some 

 time in confinement, but was at last eaten by rats. 



[No specimen is sent ; but it would appear that this is the 

 bird intended. — Edd.] 



38. Rallus rythirhynchus, Vieill. : Nomencl. p. 139. 

 My last communication contained a notice of a nest and 



eggs under the head of R. nigricans (Ibis, 1877, p. 193); but 



SER. IV. VOL. II. F 



