94 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



coat of feathers, which is impenetrable by anything smaller 

 than swan shot. The flavour of their flesh is so strong and 

 fishy, that at first we killed them solely for specimens. Five 

 or six months, however, on salt provisions taught many to 

 think such food palatable, and the seamen never lost an op- 

 portunity of eating them. I have preferred these ducks to 

 salt beef, as a preventive against scurvy, rather than from 

 liking their taste." King also distinguished two species of 

 steamer-duck, whereof one (the A7ias hrachyptera of Latham, 

 Micropterus hrachypterus of Quoy and Gaimard), was entirely 

 incapable of flight ; and the other, which he denominated by 

 the specific name of Patachonicus, was stated to be smaller in 

 size than the Brachypterus, possessed of volant powers, and 

 differing also' in other points relating to the plumage. Mr. 

 Darwin, who describes the bird as he saw it at the Falklands, 

 mentions but one species, the original Anas hrachyptera, 

 which he describes as incapable of flight. 



I will now pass on to offer a few remarks on the bird, 

 as derived from numerous observations which I had opportu- 

 nities of making with regard to it at the Falkland Islands, in 

 the Strait of Magellan, and on the west coast of Patagonia. 

 At the outset I may state that, though undoubtedly some 

 steamer-ducks fly, and others appear to be either wholly incapa- 

 ble of flight, or do not make use of their faculties in this respect, 

 it is, nevertheless, my belief there is only one species of the 

 genus Micropterus, and that the variations in size, capability 

 of flight, and colouring of plumage, are chiefly dependent on 

 the age of the birds. Secondly, it is my opinion that it is the 

 young birds that can fly, and that the power of flight or the 

 disposition to fly diminishes with age. I have arrived at 

 this conclusion after the examination of a number of speci- 

 mens of volant and non-volant birds, having ascertained from 



