94 BIRDS OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO 



but a solitary pair to be observed on one spot. As a rule, tliey 

 were exceedingly wary. The flesh is quite uneatable at most 

 seasons of the year, owing to the nature of their food, which 

 consists of molluscs and other marine animals." 



Some eggs shown me by Mr. Betts, of Useless Bay Settle- 

 ment, were smaller than the eggs of the Steamer Duck. 



CHLOEPHAGA MAGELLANICA (Gmelin) 

 White-winged Antarctic Goose, Brown, illustrations Zooi, p. lOO, 



pl. x], S, 1776. 



Oie des Torres Magellaniques, -Bm/o^i, mst. Nat. Ois., ix, pi. mvi, 



? , 1784. 

 Anas magellanica, Gmelin, Systema Naturce, i, p. 505, 1788. 

 Chloephaga magSllanica, Goiold and Darwin, Voy. "■Beagle," 



Birds, p. 134, 1841 ; Abbott, Ibis, p. 157, 1861 ; Cunningham, Nat. Hist. 



Strait Magellan, p. 130, 1871; Salvadori, Gat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvii, 



p. 132, 1895. 

 Bernicla magellanica, Dumford, ibis, p. 400, 1878 ; Oustalet, Miss. 



Sci. Cap Horn, Ois., p. 187, 1891. 



Habitat. — Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego ; the Falkland Islands. 



The general appearance of C. Magellanica and G. dispar is 

 so similar that, having only a very limited knowledge of the 

 Geese of these regions at the time of observing them, and not 

 having an opportunity of handling the former until my return to 

 England, I did not note any distinction until I had compared 

 both in the British Museum ; but, like the sheepmen of the island, 

 believed the lighter-coloured bird to be nothing more than 

 a phase of C. dispar. 



I now think that the lighter bird must have been C. magel- 

 lanica. 



Darwin says of this species in Tierra del Fuego and the Falk- 

 land Islands : — "They live in pairs and in small flocks throughout 

 the interior of the island, being rarely or never found on the 

 sea coast, and seldom ever near fresh-water lakes. I believe 



