160 Capt. C. C. Abbott on the Birds 



35. Mareca chiloensis (King). (Wigeon.) 



This is one of the wildest and scarcest birds in East Falkland. 

 I have never found its nest; but it must breed late in the 

 season, for young ones were seen in a pond near Port Louis in 

 January. On being disturbed, the mother took them to the 

 salt water, and the next day they had disappeared. On the 7th 

 of April, I shot some Wigeons on the north shore with imperfect 

 wing-feathers : were these young birds, or were they moulting ? 



36. PCECILONETTA BAHAMENSIS (Linn.). 



A straggler from the mainland, of which one specimen has 

 been obtained by Capt. Pack. 



37. Dafila urophasianus (Vig.) ? (Pintail.) 



The Pintail Duck occurs rather sparingly in the interior of 

 the island on the freshwater ponds, where it is resident all the 

 year round. This Duck never utters any sound or note, either 

 when rising or flying in the air — a singular exception to the 

 general custom of the Duck-tribe. 



38. Anas cristata (Gm,). (Grey Duck.) 



This Duck is very common everywhere, and although some- 

 times seen in freshwater ponds, generally frequents the vicinity 

 of salt water. The old birds are always found in pairs in the 

 same spot ; they live upon shell-fish, and have cei'tain boundaries 

 of water along the coast, upon which they will not allow others 

 of their species to encroach. They breed inland among the 

 grass, and on the edges of ponds, laying five eggs in a beautifully 

 made nest covered with down. The time of laying is the begin- 

 ning of October, and frequently a month later. The crest on 

 the back of the head of the male is larger than that of the 

 female, but their plumage is otherwise similar. 



39. QuERQUEDULA CRECcoiDES. (Teal.) 



This Teal is more plentiful in the interior than in the neigh- 

 bourhood of civilization. It is found in large flocks in some of 

 the freshwater streams. I have taken the nest of this bird as 

 early as the 18th of September, and I have been told that they 

 lay in August. The nest is more difficult to find than that of 

 any other bird that I know of. It is placed in the dry grass in 



