108 BIRDS OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO 



there also and in La Plata. There are specimens in the British 

 Museum collected by the "Erebus" and "Terror" at Hermite 

 Island and the Falkland Islands. 



This is one of the latest migratory Duck, arriving the 

 end of September or early in October. It frequents, alike, 

 inland fresh waters and the sea coast, where at low tide it 

 lurks in pools amongst the rocks, after the manner of the British 

 Teal (Q. creccci). The mouth of a stream, no matter how 

 small, is a favourite haunt. There is no tamer Duck in these 

 regions. If unmolested in settlements, it becomes practically 

 as tame as domestic water-fowl. At Cheena Creek there were 

 always some in the stream or resting on its grassy banks, in 

 the garden within gunshot of the manager's house. This 

 Teal breeds in the island. I have seen and shot young birds 

 hardly able to fly, but never found any eggs. 



Darwin observes it is " a true Teal, and in size and form 

 closely assimilates to the Common Teal of Europe and to the 

 species inhabiting J^orth America {Querquedula cm^oUnensis) T 

 This is confirmed by Durnford, who says : — "This and the follow- 

 ing species ( Querquedula cyanoptera) have very much the habits 

 of our httle Teal at home — when flushed, following the course 

 of the stream and dropping suddenly." 



In the Falkland Islands, Abbott found large flocks in some 

 of the freshwater streams. He took a nest as early as the 

 1 8th September. He says of this, that it " is more difficult to 

 find than that of any other bird that I know of. It is placed 

 in the dry grass in some out-of-the-way valley that no one 

 frequents: and this is the more remarkable as the birds, when 

 found in a stream or pond, are very tame. The complement of 

 eggs is five." 



The weight of this bird averages some 1-i ounces. 



