Parayuay, Bal/v'/a, and Southern Brazil. 349 



224. Spatula platalea. 



Spatula platalea Arg. Orn. ii. p. 13G ; Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. 

 p. 316. 



a. (^ ad. Laguna de Milarij A.j6. Nov. 15, 1908. 



b. (^ ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Apr. 6, 1908. 



c. (^ ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 13, 

 1909. 



Irides white; bill black ; legs and toes ochre-yellow, with 

 black spots on some of the joints. 



The November bird is in perfect plumage and the August 

 example is shewing signs of considerable wear. The April 

 bird is in almost full plumage, still moulting on the body ; 

 the old feathers shewing no signs of eclipse plumage. 



225. Metopiana pp:posaca. 



Metoplana peposaca Arg. Orn. ii. p. 137; Salvad. Cat. B. 

 xxvii. p. 332. 



fl, 6. c? ? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 22, 1908. 



c,d. ^ '^ ad. „ „ Dec. 20, 1908. 



^ . Irides rich orange ; bill lilac, tip black, knob pale 

 tomato-red shading into the lilac, point of gape black ; legs 

 and toes palish yellow-ochre. 



$ . Iridc:^ dark brown ; bill blue-slate-coloured, tip black ; 

 legs and toes pale clear brown. 



This is the most uncertain of all Ducks in the Ajo district, 

 considerable numbers being often seen where for weeks 

 hardly one can be flushed. It has a strong flight and is 

 always rather wary, and has a loud hoarse "quack." It 

 breeds here, but I have only taken two sets of eggs, and 

 both of these weie in the nests of Fiilica and contained the 

 eggs of that bird also ; the natives say this is the usual 

 custom of the bird, and assert that the Coot brings off the 

 young. 



Sixteen eggs were brought home, and these measure : axis 

 2-29 to 2-5 mm., diam. 1*72 to 1-75. 



226. Erismatura vittata. 

 Erismatura ferrnginea Arg. Orn. ii. p. 138. 

 Erismatura vittata Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 450. 



SER. IX. VOL. v. 2 B 



