DENDROCYGXA. 191 



dark brown or blackish; mantle, sides of face, tliroat, and breast 

 drab grey, most of the feathers having pale edges, "which gives a 

 wavy apjiearance ; eyelids and a line of feathers below the eye 

 white; lower back, tail, under wing-coverts^ axillaries, sides of 

 body, and abdomen uniform glossy black ; lower portion of thighs 

 and short under tail-coverts intermixed with white, the long under 

 tail-coverts white with a few dark spots. 



Total length 380 mm , culmen 54, wing 235, tail 70, tarsus 57, 

 middle toe and claw 74. 



The male and female from which the descriptions are taken were 

 collected on the Pomeroon River. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male, but the colours not so 

 bright. Wing 220 mm. 



A 3'oung bird collected on the Abary Riyer shows the outline 

 of the plumage of the old bird on the upper surface in a subdued 

 degree. The feathers generally ha.ye pale edgings and the tail- 

 feathers margined with white. The abdomen is greyish brown 

 intermixed with white, and the under tail-coverts are white with 

 only a few very pale brown markings. The under wing-coverts 

 are black with yery narrow white edges. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in Biitisli Guiana. 



JSed. " On some lowOiummock in the marsh. They sleep and 

 feed and nest anions: the thick growth of reeds and grass of the 

 savanna itself^' {Beehe). 



]^<jgs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Pomeroon River, Abary River 

 (McConnell collection) ; Rupununi River [Wliitely) \ Abary River 

 {Beehe). 



E.vtrcdimitcd Range. Trinidad, Venezuela, Colombio, Ecuador, 

 Ea«t Peru, Brazil 



Ilahits. Schonibnrgk writes (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 7G2) this 

 beautiful Duck frequents the coast in small flocks, especially at 

 the mouths of oceanic rivers. It is also found on some of the 

 rivers such as the Barama, Barinui, and Pomeroon. The full- 

 grown individuals are only met with in pairs, and may often be 

 seen perching on the l)ranclies of trees which have fallen into the 

 water. Its whi>tle founds like the word vis-sisi from which its 

 name originated. It is supposed to nest on the borders of the 

 rivers. 



Mr. Beebe (Our Search for a ^Vil^ler^css, p. 3.">7) gives the 



