AVES ANATID^E. 455 



London, have so far changed their breeding habits as to lay in May, June 

 and July instead of November, December and January, the natural breed- 

 ing season in the southern hemisphere, when the birds are enjoying the 

 beginning of the spring in the region. 



"First imported from Chili in 1870 (see P. Z. S. 1870, p. 667), and 

 commenced breeding the following year. We have now supplied most 

 of the Continental gardens with examples of this highly ornamental 

 species." 



Dates of Hatching of Chiloe Widgeon. (In the Zoological 

 Gardens, London.) 



(P. L. Sclater, P. Z. S. 1880, pp. 514-515.) 



719, male, Elizabeth Island. 



"Eyes grey, bill black, feet black; stomach had sand, etc." (Sclater & 

 Salvin, on Birds Antarctic America, Voy. H. M. S. 'Chall.' — No. ix. p. 

 436, 1878.) 



"Male. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Arg. Rep. Nov. 24, 1882. 



"Female. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Arg. Rep., Nov. 4, 1882. 



"Iris dark brown. 



"Common in flocks about lagoons." (E. W. White, P. Z. S. 1883, 

 p. 42.) 



" The displays of most ducks known to me take the form of mock fights 

 on the water ; one exception is the handsome and loquacious whistling 

 widgeon of La Plata, which has a pretty aerial performance. A dozen or 

 twenty birds rise up until they appear like small specks in the sky, and 

 sometimes disappear altogether ; and at that great altitude they continue 

 hovering in one spot, often for an hour or longer, alternately closing and 

 separating ; the fine, bright, whistling notes and flourishes of the male 

 curiously harmonizing with the grave, measured notes of the female ; and 

 every time they close they slap each other on the wings so smartly that 

 the sound can be distinctly heard, like applauding hand-claps, even after 



