422 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



"The two goslings (obtained January i) are just changing their down, 

 and present the black back, brown head, and barred wings and undersur- 

 face of the adult female partially developed. The sex is not noted in 

 either of them." 



(Sclater &Salvin, on Birds Antarctic America, Voy. H. M. S. 'Chalk' — 

 No. ix. p. 436, 1878.) 



"In the afternoon a small party of us landed for a ramble, one of the 

 officers taking his gun with him for the purpose of endeavouring to secure 

 a specimen of a kelp-goose, Chloephaga antarctica, several of which were 

 to be seen on the rocks about the bay. This beautiful bird, of which the 

 adult male is snow-white, and the female nearly black, presenting a most 

 striking contrast when standing together, we found common throughout 

 the western part of the Strait, and on the west coast of the continent as 

 far north as Chiloe. It never goes in large flocks, rarely more than five 

 or six being seen in company at a time, and generally but a solitary pair 

 to be observed on one spot. As a rule, we found them exceedingly wary, 

 probably in consequence of being often disturbed by the Indians, who 

 occasionally kill them. Their flesh is quite uneatable at most seasons 

 of the year, owing to the nature of their food, which consists of Molluscs 

 and other marine animals." (Scholl Bay, Smyth's Channel, Straits 

 Magellan, March 14, 1868.) (Cunn. Nat. Hist. Str. Magell. 1871, pp. 

 318-319.) 



"We remarked that the kelp geese, which, as a rule, never wet their 

 feet, except with the damp seaweed of the fore-shore, take to the water 

 as soon as the young are hatched, being probably induced to do so in 

 order the better to protect their goslings from the hawks and rats. The 

 male and female adult birds differ remarkably in plumage ; that of the 

 female being almost black, with a few white dots and dashes, whereas the 

 feathers of the male are perfectly white. The sombre color of the female 

 is probably intended as a protection during the hatching time, when she 

 remains almost continuously on the eggs, while the gander does sentry 

 in some conspicuous position adjacent. When at this time of the year 

 a solitary gander is seen standing on a projecting point or headland, it 

 may safely be inferred that his faithful consort is on her nest somewhere 

 within sixty yards. Even under these circumstances it is by no means an 

 easy matter to find the nest ; for the black plumage of the female assimi- 

 lates with the dark wind-blown seaweed and rank grass in which her 



