400 ANSERES. 



well known to the negro gunners, who had been 

 accustomed to call it Wigeon, and who stated that 

 others had been lately (at the end of February) 

 seen in the neighbouring waters. 



Robinson was acquainted with this identical spe- 

 cies, (or variety?) nearly a hundred years ago. 

 "Mr. Thistlewood shot a Duck and Drake, which 

 he called the Wild Muscovy Duck and Drake, not on 

 account of their resembling those birds in colour, 

 but in size, for the Drake equalled the Muscovy 

 Drake, and the Duck the Muscovy Duck. The 

 Wild Muscovy Duck, Mr. T. says, was covered 

 with a most elegant, beautiful plumage, far sur- 

 passing that of any bird of this kind he ever 

 saw."" (MSS. ii. 86.) From an elaborate descrip- 

 tion and admeasurement, which the Doctor after- 

 wards gives, I find the male agrees accurately 

 with mine, save that its expanse was 48 inches, 

 and its tail 7^, the extremity being curled up- 

 wards. The female also was shot, but dived and 

 escaped: it was in the great pond at Egypt, 

 (close to which mine was obtained,) November 

 19th, 1753. 



I leave the question thus ; merely adding that 

 the trachea of mine, (a male) terminated in a 

 large pear-shaped bony capsule, on the left side. 

 The stomach contained hard seeds of sedges, with 

 some vegetable fibre. The testes were compara- 

 tively small. 



