on the Birds of Chili. 191 



The bottom of the hollow forming the nest was profusely- 

 filled with feathers. This structure I could not remove 

 entire^ so I had to rake it out by handfuls and let the man 

 below get as much as he could in his " poncho " before 

 the wind took it off. I got all the eggs out one by one and 

 lowered each in a handkerchief to the Indian^ and when I 

 had scraped all the feathers out as well^ I was glad enough 

 to come down and get my breath. 



These nests are sometimes^ I was told, placed some 

 miles from water and at a considerable height from the 

 ground, so it would be interesting to know how the young 

 birds a few days old get to the ponds on which they are 

 subsequently found. The nesting-season seems to extend 

 tlirough January and February. As soon as the young 

 can be got to a pond or laguna, they are watched most 

 vigilantly by the two old birds, and when an intruder ap- 

 proaches the male goes off, sometimes pretending to be 

 wounded, overland, whilst the female takes to the water, 

 closely followed by her progeny. They feed chiefly on grasses 

 or vegetable matter in the marshes. Their note when ap- 

 proached is a deep harsh cackling ; they are not noisy, like 

 the Common Goose, though they utter sounds when in 

 company. An Indian told me that they lay, as a rule, about 

 12 eggs ; but I did not see more than five young in a 

 clutch, and the clutch I took appeared to be complete though 

 fresh. 



7Q. Cygnus nigricollis (Gm.). 



Cygnus melanocoryphus, Salvad. B. M. C. xxvii. p. 39. 



(Rio Pilmaiguen.) 



This Swan occurs all through Central and Southern Chili, 

 and is generally known as the " Cisne." I was told they 

 breed in Patagonia or the far south. They are more or less 

 migratory, 



I heard of a White Swan occurring near Rio Bueno now 

 and then. This was most likely the Coscoroba (Coscoroba 

 caiidida) ; but I did not meet with it whilst there, and con- 

 clude that it is an irregular visitant in limited numbers. 



