LUNATE BLUEWING. 401 



LUNATE BLUEWING.* 

 Cyanopterus discors. 



Anas discors^ LINN. Aud. pi. 313. 



Cyanopterus discors, EYTON. 



THIS is one of the ducks which, being in high 

 estimation for sapidity, are largely brought to mar- 

 ket in the towns. My acquaintance with it is in- 

 deed confined to this condition. Robinson notices 

 it, as frequently met with in the wet months. 

 He saw one in the yard of Edward Long, Esq., 

 of Spanish Town, where it fed amongst the poultry : 

 " it was coloured like that painted in Mr. Catesby's 

 History of Carolina, i. p. 100, and was known to be 

 a female by having laid an egg, though Mr. Catesby 

 says the female is all over brown." (MSS. ii. 120) 

 Robinson agrees with Browne in considering this 

 a permanent inhabitant of Jamaica, having known 

 them shot, even during the dry season. 



Of those which I examined, the stomachs con- 

 tained coarse siliceous sand, and small black seeds ; 

 the oesophagus of one contained several small fishes. 



* Length 16 inches, expanse 24|, flexure 7|, tail 2, breadth of beak 

 ^, height ^, rictus 1^, tarsus 1^, middle toe 1^. 



