490 Mr. F. E. Blaauw : Field-notes on some 



In young birds the bill is dark or spotted, and so are the 

 legs and feet. 



I met with these birds nearly everywhere in the Smith 

 Channel and its continuations. In Eden Harbour^ Indian 

 Eeach, in the Smith Channel, there were great numbers 

 together, and I counted as many as forty-two in one 

 flock. 



I got quite near to them in a small boat, and even had one 

 shot, but there was no signs of any bird even trying to fly. 

 When the birds got frightened they paddled away, using their 

 wings and feet, striking the water with their wings with 

 great strength. 



They cannot lift their heavy bodies above the water, but 

 paddle through it, making a tremendous splashing. 



Near Melinka, on the most nortliern island of the Chonos 

 Archipelago, I saw families of these Ducks, that is to say, 

 pairs of old birds with their full-grown young ones. T!ie 

 plumage of these young birds differed fiom that of the 

 adults in some of them being tinged with brownish, whilst 

 the bills and also the legs and feet were dark or mixed with 

 greenish. 



These birds were evidently birds of the year, as they still 

 followed their parents. They were even heavier looking 

 than the old birds, and most certainly could not fly nor did 

 they attempt to do so. The birds were, however, expert 

 divers. 



At Melinka the birds were not disturbed and were as 

 tame as domestic Ducks, sitting on pieces of rock close by 

 the shore. 



I did not meet this species north of the Chonos 

 Archipelago. 



In the Museum of La Plata I saw a young chick in down 

 of this species. It was of a brownish olive-coloured yellow, 

 with white eyebrow-streaks. 



I brought home a living specimen of this Duck that had 

 been caught when young in the Smith Channel. It answered 

 the description given above of the female of Tachyeres 

 cinereus. At its death it was dissected in Leydeu, and ray 



