18/6.] NEOTROl'ICAL ANATID^. 370 



elongatis cum caiida Icete viridi-nitentibus ; secundariis chalyheo- 



caeruleo indutis ; primariis nigris ; tectricibus alarum omnibus 



supra et subtus cum plumis axillaribus pure albis ; hypochon- 



driis viridi vix tinctis ; rostri carunculis rubris, pedibus 



nigris: long, tota 29'0, alee 15'0, caudcc 7"5, rostri a rictu 



2'6, tarsi 2 3, dig. med. cum ungue 3"8 (Descr. maris ex 



Guatemala, in Mus. S. & G.). Fem. mari similis sed minor: 



long, tota 25'0, alee r2'5, caudce 5"5, rostri a rictu 2'3, tarsi 



1'8, dig. med. cum ungue 2'9. 



Hub. Paraguay {Azara) ; Parana and Tucuinan {Burmeister) ; 



Lagoa Santa {Reinhardt) ; Bolivia {Tf Orbigny) ; Peru (Tschiidi) ; 



Brazil {Maxitnilian, Burmeister) ; Amazonia (Bartlett, Ilauxwell) ; 



Guiana (Schomburgk) ; Trinidad {Leotaud) ; Panama {M'Lea7inan) ; 



Honduras {Taylor); Guatemala (Salvin); Mexico (Grayson, Xantus). 



The Muscovy Duck, so well known in a domestic state nearly all 



over the vporld, is a native of the hottest portion of tropical America. 



It is usually found in lowland swampy districts ; and where there are 



extensive forests it not unfrequently abounds. During the day the 



birds remain in the forest-swamps ; but towards evening numbers 



may be seen sitting on the lower boughs of trees standing on the 



margin of a clearing. 



In Guatemala, Salvin found this Duck abundant on the Pacific 

 coast in lagoons near Santana Mixtan and also at Huamuchal. It 

 is likewise met with on the Atlantic side on the Rio Polochic, and 

 also between Lake Peten and Lake Yax-ha. Its extreme northern 

 limit seems to be N.W. Mexico, where Col. Grayson found it at 

 Mazatlan, and Xantus at Rio Zacatula. 



Its southern range extends to the upper Parana and Tucuman. It 

 is not uncommon in Paraguay, according to Azara, although not found 

 on the La Plata. It is to be seen usually in pairs or singly, but also 

 in flocks of twenty or thirty. It always roosts in trees, usually re- 

 sorting to the same trees night after night. The nest, in which from 

 ten to fourteen eggs are deposited, is made in a hole or fork of a large 

 tree at some elevation from the ground. It seeks its food not only 

 in the rivers, but on moonlight nights resorts to the maize and corn- 

 fields and also plucks up the roots of mandioca. 



The native habitat of the Muscovy Duck was known to some of 

 the earliest writers. The date of its introduction as a domesticated 

 species into Europe and elsewhere does not appear to have been 

 recorded, but doubtless dates back to soon after the Spanish conquests 

 in America. 



Genus 4. Anas. Type. 



Anas, Linn. S. N. i. p. 194 (1766) A. boschas. 



Boschas, Sw. Class. B. ii. p. 367 (1857) A. boschas. 



Chauliodus, Sw. Faun. Bor.-Amer. p. 440 (1831) A. strepera. 

 Ktinorhynchus, Eyton, Mon. Anat. p. 137 (1838) A. strepera^ 

 Chaulelasmus, G.R.Gray; Pr. Bonap. Geog. Comp. 



List of B. p. .58 (1838) A. strepera. 



Five species of true Anas (or, at least, not yet separated from the 



