366 MESSRS. SCLATER AND SALVIN ON [Ap r - *L 



5. Bernicla POLIOCEPHALA. 



Anas inornatus 2, King, P. Z. S. 1830-31, p. 15 (Straits of 

 Magellan). 



Bernicla inornata, Gray & Mitch. Gen. B. t. 165; Gay, Faun. 

 Chil. i. p. 444. 



Chloephaga poliocephala, Gray, List Gall. Grail, and Anseres in 

 B. M. p. 127(1844), descr. nulla ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 128; 1858, 

 p. 290; 1861, p. 46 (Falkland Islands); 1867, p. 335 ; Abbott, 

 Ibis, 1861, p. 159 (Falkland Islands); Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1868, 

 p. 189 (Oazy Harbour) ; 1870, p. 499 (Port Grappler) ; Nomencl. 

 p. 128. 



Bernicla poliocephala, Burm. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 366 (Babia Blanca). 

 Anser poliocephalus, Scbl. Mus. des P.-B., Anseres, p. 101. 

 Chlcetrophus poliocephalus, Bann. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1870, p. 131. 

 Bernicla chiloensis, Ph. & Landb. Wiegm. Arch. 1863, p. 149 

 (Chiloe), et Cat. Av. Chil. p. 40. 



Capite toto et collo cum scapularibus griseo-plumbeis, pectore et 



dorso superiore castaneis nigro transfasciatis ; abdomine, tectri- 



cibus subalaribus, campterio et tectricibus minoribus albis ; pri- 



mariis nigris; secundariis albis, interioribus fusco in pogonio 



externo notatis ; tectricibus alarum majoribus nigris, extus 



viridescenti-nitentibus, apicibus albis; dorso imo et cauda nigris, 



hypochondriis nigro et albo transfasciatis, crisso castaneo ; 



rostro nigro, pedibus extus Jlavis intus fusco-nigris : long, tota 



24, alee 13'5, cauda 5, tarsi2'7, dig. med. cum ung. 2'5 (Descr. 



maris ex Patagonia (Rio Negro) in Mus. S. & G.). Fern, mari 



similis. 



Hub. Straits of Magellan (King, Cunningham) ; Patagonia, Rio 



Negro (Hudson) ; Chiloe (Philippi Sf Landbeck) ; Falkland Islands 



{Abbott, Leconte). 



This species was at first supposed to be the female of the bird 

 described by Captain King as Anas inornatus, under which name an 

 excellent figure of it was given by Gray and Mitchell in the ' Genera 

 of Birds.' Mr. Gray was the first to detect the error and to give 

 the present bird a MS. name ; but he left it to Sclater to describe 

 the species and make the distinctions clear. The fact of the similarity 

 of the sexes in this and the next species has been abundantly shown 

 by living birds which have reared broods in captivity in our Gardens. 

 The species does not seem to be very common in the far south, as it 

 escaped Mr. Darwin's notice ; and in the Falkland Islands, the great 

 rendezvous of these Geese, it would appear to be only a straggler. 



During the three years Captain Abbott resided in the Falkland 

 Islands he only observed three examples of this species ; and these 

 were obtained singly amongst flocks of "Upland Geese" (B. magel- 

 lanica) : he supposes that these birds were stragglers from the coast 

 of Patagonia. F. Leconte, who was sent by this Society to the 

 Falklands to obtain living animals, brought home one skin of this 

 Goose. 



Burmeister says the range of this Goose extends over the whole of 

 Patagonia, where it is one of the most common species. 



