358 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



Back : Upper mantle deep chestnut, with a maroon tone and with iri- 

 descent metallic purple, green and bronzy reflections. Scapulars like the 

 mantle, but more iridescent. The lower back, rump and upper tail- 

 coverts dusky, with purple, green and bronzy, iridescent, metallic 

 reflections. 



Tail : Dusky or blackish, with the same reflections accentuated. 



Wings : Lesser upper wing-coverts deep rich chestnut, with a maroon 

 tone. Medium and greater coverts duller chestnut, with much the same 

 reflections as the scapulars. Bastard wing, primary coverts and primaries 

 entirely glossy green, with bronzy reflections. Secondaries also glossy 

 green with purple reflections. 



Under Surface : Bare skin at base of chin, crimson lake (becoming dull 

 yellowish brown in dried skins); a narrow line of dull white feathers 

 bordering this area. The whole surface from neck to under tail-coverts 

 deep rich chestnut with a maroon tone. Under tail-coverts dusky 

 or blackish, with metallic reflections of purple and green. Under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries blackish, with green and purple reflections. Quills 

 from below glossed with dark green. 



Bill : Brown horn color, tinged in the breeding season with reddish. 



Legs and feet: Dull greenish brown, changing to deep red in the breed- 

 ing season. 



Iris ; Deep hazel brown, becoming in many individuals cherry red in 

 the breeding season. 



Adult Female. — Similar to the adult male in color. 



Adults in Winter. — " The winter plumage of adults appears to consist in 

 the entire loss of the chestnut plumage of the head, back and scapulars ; 

 the rest of the plumage remains metallic with the same varying shades of 

 green and purple, but the wings are more bronzy and the wing-coverts 

 brighter metallic green. The head and neck are entirely streaked with 

 black and whitish, and in the spring the red feathers of the summer plum- 

 age are gained by a moult." (Sharpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus. XXVI. p. 

 33, 1898.) With regard to winter adults oi P. falcinellus. On p. 36. t. 

 c. the same writer says : " The winter plumage (cf P. guarauna) and young 

 plumage are exactly analogous to those of Plegadis falcinellus.'' 

 Young birds of the year are similar to the winter plumage of adults. The 

 whole of the chestnut regions are dull greyish brown, striped with whitish 

 on the head and neck. The green of the upper surface and wings is even 



