CYGNUS NIGRICOLLIS 91 



? , Useless Bay Settlement, 9tli 'Nov., 1904. 

 Iris — brown ; bill — mauve ; legs — pale pink. 



It is remarkable that Darwin makes so little mention of the 

 Black-necked Swan ; his only allusion to it seems to be the one 

 pair seen near Cape Tres Montes on the coast of Chili. 



The French Mission to Cape Horn did not obtain it south 

 of the Patagonian mainland. 



There are vast numbers in the Gente Grande lagoons on the 

 north coast. Further south I did not find them plentiful, except 

 in isolated flocks. They have a preference for lagoons where 

 the water is brackish. The only place I have seen any 

 considerable number was on a lagoon on the track between 

 Useless Bay Settlement and Cheena Creek. There I shot this 

 specimen with the rifle. There were about 150 on the lagoon ; 

 a fortnight later, about double that number. On visiting this 

 lagoon again in February, I found none of this species, but 

 a single pair of Coscoroba Swans. Occasionally I saw small 

 companies on the wing. 



In the Falkland Islands, Abbott says they are found all the 

 year round, but rather scarce and very wild. 



In the Province of Buenos Ay res, Durnford says, they are 

 winter visitors, but the time of their arrival and departure is very 

 uncertain, depending chiefly on the mildness or severity of the 

 season. In Central Patagonia they are partially resident, but 

 most numerous in the winter. He observed them nesting in 

 the reed-beds at the mouth of the Sengelen, and the old birds 

 were carrying the young on their backs. 



There was nothing in the stomach of this specimen beyond 

 sand. 



The Ona name is " Kaum" in imitation of its note. 



