AXSKRTX.K — TIIH GKESK — nHNDROCYCNA. 



483 



i-color, the 

 Miuh like 

 .1 by iliiiKJ' 

 oclinii'i'ous. 

 visli whili', 

 nsky ; Ici'l 

 io, Miukisir 

 {ihury ImlV, 



L'llllill^ OVlT 

 11 UIhU'V till' 



t.tlu-liliiik- 

 iilioiit as tar 

 iiilucnt i>(irt- 

 lal striiH' of 



buff IWtillL'S 



luT oil I'acli 

 L' will-,' wliit- 

 h ; till' lilack 



lateral pro- 

 .•arli siile the 

 ) the tibiif ; 

 ij,' ui>\vartl ill 

 ! miiUlli' l»>i'- 

 1)1" till- back, 

 laler ami less 



obtaiiu'il by 

 bove, yellow 



"0. 



I lulous I'ast, 

 of the wiiij;- 

 di.icoliiv, St'l.. 

 stiiiniilv aiitl 



itish tibia', 

 sl>eeiliieli» 



lit eiilisider 



as follows : 



tarsus, :J.'2(>- 



iiii from its 

 thn)Uf,'liiiut 

 laiiy of the 



itioiis it as 

 as iissuvi'd 



(1 — that it 

 r iiii'ov'.m'il 

 Novt'iulxT 



)\v 



u bfjoiul 



nil ii'il, orange 

 Mils. Vol. I. 



tlu' jiriH'urin!^ tif a siiigU' siiccinicii at Fort Tejon liy Mr. Xantns, who rogarchMl it as 

 of rai'f and iiiiusiial occiin't'ix'c. 



Spt'i'inu'Hs wt'iv ohtaiui'd by Mr. CJ. C. Taylor on tin- I.akc of Tojoa. in Honduras. 

 The birds Averc very jdi'iitiful. easy of approach, and wen- very ,u;ood catinj,'. Mr. 

 K. t'. Taylor found this siu'cii's almnihint in the Island of J'orto Hico. when' it was 

 lirot'din};. 



Mr. Salvin niontions havini,' nu't with a flock on tlic i'aciflc coast of (Juatcniala. 

 He could plainly distinguish the clear whistlini,' note wliicli this bird utters as it 

 flies. According to licotand it is a permanent resident of Trinidad. It certainly is 

 known to breed there, and it is also to be met with at all seasons of the year, but 

 generally in very limited numbers, in tlie coursi- of duly and August it regularly 

 visits Trinidad in large numbers. The swamps then contain but very little water, 

 and certain aqtuitie jdants which grow on the edges of iiools jiroduce seeds of which 

 this Duck is very fond. This undoubtedly is what attracts these birds, for it 

 cannot be tliat they are driven by cold from the neigliboring iiortions of the South 

 American continent, where they abound. On the other hand, there seems to be some 

 evident necessity for this movement, for at that jicriod hardly an individual remains 

 behind. This Duck is always seen in flocks more or less considerable in size. It 

 utters a very peculiar wliistling .sound, said to resemble the syllables oii'i-ki-ki ; and by 

 this name the bird is known in Trinidad. It is not infrcipiently known to perch on 

 the limbs of trees, in captivity it will freely niiugle with the other inhabitants of 

 the barnyard, appearing to be (|uite contented with its lot; but it will not breed. 

 Its flesh, like that of all the Ducks of South America, is deservedly considered a great 

 delicacy by eiiicures. 



Colonel .\. .1. (irayson, quoted by Mr. Lawrence in his pajior on the Mirds of 

 Western Mexico, states that the history of the habits of this species would be almost 

 identical with that of its near ally, />. fitfnr. It is, however, more nocturn:il in 

 juu'suit of subsistence, visiting the ilry cornflclds during the night in great innnbers. 

 and doing considerable damage there. Colonel (irayson adds that he has al.'^o met 

 with these birds in the night-time, as they were walking along the road, far from any 

 water, jucking up the grains of corn which had been drojipcd by the packers. 



This species is said to be nnu'c abundant in the vicinity of Ma/.atlan in the latter 

 part of the dry .season than the JKfii/ni, but in Aiuil and May it migrates during 

 the night toward Sonora. Many, liowev .-, remain iind breed in the neighborhood 

 (d' Mazatlan during the suninier, Avhere they are seen during every month (d' the yt^ar, 

 breeding in the hollows of large trees, and laying friuu twelvi' to lifteen eggs. The 

 young are lowered to the ground, one at a time, in the moidh of the mother: after 

 all are safely landed, she eautiou.sly leads her young brood to the nearest water. 



This Duck peridii's with facility on the branches of trees, and when in the eorn- 

 iidd.s, upon the stalks, in order to reach tlic ears of corn. Large flocks spend the day 

 on Mie bank of sonu* secluded lagoon, densely bordered with woods or water-flags, also 

 sitting anuuigst the branidies of trees, not often feeding or stirring about during the 

 day. AVhen ujion the wing this bird eonstantly utters its jieculiar whistle of pv-rhc- 

 t'hv-uc, from which its native name is derived. Colimcl (Jrayson noticed that it siddom 

 alights in doop water, always ineferring the shallow edges or the ground ; the cans*' 

 of this may be the fear of the numerous alligators that usually infest the lagoons. 



When this Duck is taken young, or when its eggs are hatched under the common 

 Barnyard Hen. it becomes very tame, and does not reijuire to bo confined; it is 

 very watehtul during tlu^ night, aiul, like the (loose, gives the alarm by a shrill 

 whistle when any strange aninuil or person comes about the house. A lady of 



