136 ANATID^E. 



Hab. Paraguay, Argentina, Chili, and Patagonia. 



The Chiloe Wigeon, as this Duck has been usually called since its 

 introduction and acclimatization in England, is the only species of the 

 genus found in South America, and is most abundant on the pampas, 

 where it is called by the country people Pato picaso or Pato overo 

 (piebald duck), or Chirivi from its cry. It is a very handsome bird; 

 the upper plumage variegated with black, white, and grey; forehead, 

 speculum, and under surface white ; head and neck dark glossy green. 

 It is resident, and is usually seen in small flocks of from a dozen to 

 twenty birds, but sometimes as many as one or two hundred congregate 

 together. They are wary and loquacious, strong on the wing, and fre- 

 quently engage in a peculiar kind of aerial pastime. A small flock will 

 rise to a vast height, often until they seem mere specks on the sky, or 

 disappear from sight altogether ; and at that great altitude they con- 

 tinue hovering or flying, sometimes keeping very nearly in the same 

 place for an hour or more, alternately separating and closing, and every 

 time they close they slap each other on the wing so smartly that the 

 sound may be heard distinctly even when the birds are no longer visible. 

 While flying or swimming about they constantly utter their far-sounding 

 cry three or four long, clear, whistling notes, followed by another 

 uttered with great emphasis and concluding with a kind of flourish. 



The nest is made amongst the rushes in the marshes, and the eggs 

 are pure white and eight or nine in number. 



353. SPATULA PLATALEA (Vieill.). 

 (RED SHOVELLER.) 



Anas platalea, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 517 (Parana, Buenos Ayres). 

 Spatula platalea, Scl et Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 145 (Buenos Ayres), et 

 1876, p. 396 ; lid. Nomencl. p. 130; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 41 (Chupat), et 

 1878, p. 65 (Buenos Ayres) et p. 401 (Central Patagonia) ; Narrows, Auk, 

 1884, p. 274 (Carhu(3, Pampas) ; Burm. P. Z. 8. 1872, p. 368. 



Description. Above and beneath reddish, with round black spots ; head and 

 neck lighter and spots smaller ; lower back blackish, barred with rufous, ruinp 

 black ; wings brownish black ; lesser coverts blue ; middle coverts white ; 

 secondaries bronzy black ; outer secondaries and scapulars with white shaft- 

 stripes ; crissum black ; tail brown, lateral rectrices edged with white ; bill 

 dark, feet yellow : whole length 20'0 inches, wing 8'0, tail 4-5. Female : 

 above blackish brown, edged with rufous ; lesser wing-coverts bluish ; beneath 

 buffy rufous, varied and spotted with blackish except on the throat. 



Hab. Argentina, Patagonia, and Chili. 



There is but one Shoveller Duck in South America, the present 



