MARECA SIBILATRIX 105 



wildfowl of Tierra del Fuego. It is the wildest of all Duck in the 

 island ; but, in time, like other creatures, loses its natural distrust 

 of man, if unmolested ; and then becomes an interesting pet at 

 large. There is at Useless Bay Settlement, below the manager's 

 house, within about one hundred yards of it, a pool of water on 

 the outskirts of the marsh, reserved as a sanctuary for birds. 

 Here, there were always a few Widgeon — sometimes twenty or 

 thirty — and it was possible to watch them at play. They would 

 hold merry tourney on the water, chasing and ducking one 

 another, gaggling excitedly, all joining in excited approbation or 

 derision from time to time. One bird would then take wing, 

 followed by all the others, for a turn in the air, and then they 

 would career round in reckless dashing flight — wheeling, twisting, 

 doubling, stooping, and rising — to return to the water with 

 a sounding splash. When put up, this Widgeon usually makes a 

 detour and comes back overhead, sometimes again and again, often 

 so high as to be quite out of gunshot. I killed this female in this 

 way, at a great height, with a single pellet of No. 4 shot, in sheer 

 desperation, after the company of four or five had come overhead 

 several times. For the male, I have to thank Mr. J. G. Cameron, 

 who shot it when we were out together, and himself skinned 

 it in most creditable style. Several times I have seen a pair 

 of these birds with young, unable to fly, but never found 

 a nest. 



Capt. Abbott describes this Widgeon as one of the wildest 

 and scarcest birds in the Falkland Islands. 



In the Province of Buenos Ayres, Durnford says : — " The 

 greater part that come here are winter visitors, but a few breed 

 amongst the reeds and coarse grass in some of the extensive 

 marshes. Like Metopiana peposaca, it prefers large lagoons to 

 the small pools and streams frequented by the smaller ducks, and 

 is generally shy and flies very high." In the Chupat Valley he 

 records it " common throughout the valley and at the mouth of 

 the river, at the latter place feeding on the extensive mussel-beds 

 in company with A. spinicauda.'' In Central Patagonia — " The 



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