AVES ANATID^. 463 



The adult female is similar in color to the male, but duller; the chestnut 

 cap is not so defined or intense in color, nor are the middle tail-feathers 

 so strongly developed. 



Young birds of the year are like the females, but the young males are 

 more strongly chestnut on the head and more rufescent generally. 



Geographical Range. — The whole of southern South America from 

 southern Brazil and southern Peru ; Patagonia, the Straits of Magellan 

 and the Falkland Islands. 



In southern Patagonia Mr. Hatcher procured a fine series of this duck, 

 all the birds being adults. They were taken at all the seasons when the 

 collectors from Princeton were exploring this part of the country and from 

 unworn individuals taken in August, the series begins again with birds 

 captured in December, January and February, the last two months the 

 early breeding season here, while very worn adults taken late in March 

 (25th) show the birds after breeding, but before the moult. 



The birds have been captured with eggs in the Province of Tarapaca, 

 Chili, in March and appear to be, at least so far as their mainland distribu- 

 tion goes, resident species present throughout the year in suitable locations. 



The eggs are described as being "oval, and almost without gloss, and 

 cream brown in color." The breeding season is, without doubt, a long 

 one because of the wide distribution of the birds, extending from late 

 December to early March, the records of breeding in the Zoological Gardens 

 in London would seem to bear out this conclusion and are given below. 



There is a very considerable individual color variation among these 

 birds, which does not seem to correlate with either sex, season or age. 

 It is largely due to the amount of the rufescent brown and its intensity ; 

 some birds are nearly lacking in this shade, while others have it strongly 

 developed. Hence some birds present an almost white under surface, 

 save on the breast, but in others the rufescent prevails so that no white 

 shows on the lower parts. 



"The Chilian Pintail was introduced by Lord Derby, and a single ex- 

 ample sold at the Knowsley sale in 1851 was purchased by the Society. 

 It was not obtained again, I believe, until 1870, when eight examples 

 were procured from Mr. Weisshaupt. These began to breed in 1872. It 

 has thriven well ever since, and we have supplied many of our continen- 

 tal friends with examples of it." 



