498 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS! ZOOLOGY. 



tance. In the Strait and Channels, where only I had an opportunity of 

 observing them, they were, like their parents, very wary. In a specimen 

 shot in the Channels, the entire upper surface of the body, the sides of 

 the head, and a gorget around the lower part of the neck, were covered 

 with grayish-black down, while the under surface and a spot placed 

 obliquely above and behind the eye were white. The bill, legs, and feet 

 were black, with some light-coloured patches along the edges of the toes. 

 The length, from the extremity of the bill to the tip of the tail, was four- 

 teen inches. Ossification proceeds slowly in the bones of the cranium, 

 and many of them continue unanchylosed or separable for a considerable 

 period." 



(Sandy Point, 27th December, 1866. Cunn. op. cit., pp. 91-98.) 

 "The flesh of the steamer is very dark coloured and very strong tasted, 

 so that, after several experiments in cooking it, we agreed in banishing it 

 from our mess-table." (Peckett Harbour, Magellan Straits, 12th February, 

 1867. Cunn. op. at., p. 154.) 



"Numbers of steamer-ducks were seen, in general too wary to permit 

 of our getting near them, as well as numerous gulls [Larns doniiuicamts) 

 and cormorants, several kelp-geese, and a black oyster-catcher." (Indian 

 Reach, Eden Harbour, Magellan Straits, May i, 1868. Cunn. op. ci't, p. 



352.) 



"I filled up my spare time in skinning and carefully examining the 

 flying steamer-duck, whose external characters agreed in all respects with 

 King's Micropferiis Patachonicns, and found, on examination of the skele- 

 ton, that it was that of a young bird, the skeleton being imperfectly ossi- 

 fied, and a thick perichondrial layer investing the sternum, which was very 

 thin, rough, and porous in texture." (Cape Fairweather ; Patagonia, 

 March 12th, 1869. Cunn. op. cit., p. 475.) 



"Steamer-ducks [Tachyeres ciucrciis) are very abundant at Tom Bay, 

 as indeed they are throughout all the western channels. Their English 

 name, 'steamer-duck,' has reference to their habit of moving rapidly 

 along the surface of the water by means of a paddling motion of the 

 wings, and leaving a wake of foam which resembles, on a small scale, that 

 of a paddle-steamer. A great deal has been written about these remark- 

 able birds, and I shall not therefore attempt any general description, 

 which at the best would only involve useless repetition. There are a few 

 remarks about them, however, which I should like to make. Although 



