of the Waterfowl of South America. 491 



opinion as to its sex was confirmed. The skeleton is 

 preserved in the Leyden Museum. 



The young male, which was killed in my presence in Eden 

 Harbour, I skinned myself, and found enormously powerfdl 

 muscles over the skull and a very shallow keel on the 

 sternum. The stomach contained the remains of crabs. 

 This bird is mounted in my own collection (see Plate XIV.). 



Tachyeres patachonicus. 



This flying Duck is allied to Tachyeres cinereus. I saw 

 it in north-western Tierra del Fuego on the sea-shore and 

 on the lagoons inland, and it may be described as follows : — 



The adult male of this species is smaller than the male of 

 Tachjeres cinereus, and is similar to it in general coloration. 

 It is of a beautiful clear bluish grey, with a white breast and 

 belly, and a white wing-speculum. The bill is of a brilliant 

 orange-yellow and is wider and shorter in shape than that 

 of Tachyeres cinereus. The tail is elongated and carried 

 upright when the bird swims. 



The female is much smaller than the male and quite dif- 

 ferent in colour. The head is dark brown and the rest of 

 the body, except the white underside and white wing- bars, 

 is of a beautiful dark wine-colour, with grey centres to the 

 feathers of the upperside and sides. The bill, which is also 

 short and stout, is brown or black. 



I saw small flocks of these birds on and near the sea- 

 shore of Jente Grande Bay, in north-west Tierra del Fuego, 

 and a good many pairs on the lagoons inland. 



I saw the birds repeatedly fly high overhead. I saw them 

 fly from the sea to the lakes inland and alight in my close 

 proximity, and, standing on the sea-shore, I saw them flying 

 towards me from the land side. 



The birds were, generally, very tame, and the pairs seemed 

 to keep together. A pair invariably consisted of a large 

 clear grey bird with yellow bill, and a much smaller brown 

 one with daik bill. 



If I stood still on horseback at the waterside of a lake 

 the pairs would generally swim up to me for inspection. 



