METOPIANA PEPOSACA. 



137 



species, which is confined to the southern part of the continent, from 

 Paraguay to Patagonia, and is familiar to sportsmen in the Plata as the 

 Red Duck, or Espatula. It is seldom met with in flocks of more 

 than twenty or thirty individuals, and a large number of birds appear 

 to pair for lif e> as they are usually seen in pairs at all seasons of the year. 

 In the autumn and winter months I have sometimes observed small 

 flocks composed of males only, but these were perhaps young birds not 

 yet paired. They feed in shallow water, where by plunging the head 

 down they can reach the mud at the bottom ; and when several are seen 

 thus engaged, all with their heads and necks immersed, they look curi- 

 ously like headless ducks floating on the water. When disturbed or 

 flying the male emits a low sputtering sound, and this is its only 

 language. They are resident and the least wary of ducks; never 

 engage, like other species, in real or mock combats ; and their flight is 

 rapid and violent, the wings beating quickly. 



354. METOPIANA PEPOSACA (Vieill.). 

 (ROSY-BILLED DUCK.) 



Anas peposaca, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 518 (Rio Parana). Metopiana 

 peposaca, Scl et Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 146 (Buenos Ayres), et 1876, p. 398 ; 

 iid. Nomencl. p. 130 ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 192 (Buenos Ayres) ; White, 

 P. Z. S. 1882, p. 625 (Buenos Ayres) ; Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 274 ; Scl. 

 P. Z. S. 1870, p. 666, pi. xxxvii. 



Description. Above black, very finely striated with white on the back ; back of 

 head and neck with a purplish tinge ; secondaries of wings white with black ends, 

 and covered with the black coverts, leaving a white speculum ; primaries greyish 

 white, the four outer ones on their outer webs and all on their extremities 

 black ; whole belly minutely vermiculated with grey and white ; crissum white ; 

 bill rosy red, enlarged at the base ; feet yellowish : whole length 19'0 inches, 

 wing 9-4, tail 2-8. Female. Above brown, bend of wing and speculum white j 

 beneath white, breast and flanks brownish ; bill dark ; feet horn-colour. 



Hab. Paraguay, Argentina, Chili, and Patagonia. 



The Rosy-billed Duck, usually called "Black Duck" in the Plata, 

 inhabits the Argentine country from Paraguay to Patagonia, and also 

 occurs in Uruguay and Chili, but does not extend to Brazil. 



A peculiar interest attaches to this species owing to the fact that it 

 is the only freshwater Duck in the subfamily Fuligulinse, in which it is 

 classed. With the exception of the Loggerhead Duck (Tachyeres cine- 

 reus), found in the Falklands and the Magellan Straits, all the other 

 sea-ducks of this division inhabit North and Central America ; so that 

 the Rosy-bill appears to have separated itself widely from its nearest 



