198 ANATID^. 



the base of the bill in the male bird, these caruncles being absent in the female. There 

 are no spurs on the wing, and the sexes are similarly coloured. 



Only one species is known, distributed over the greater portion of the Neotropical 

 Region, and occurring throughout Central America, but not extending into the United 

 States. 



1. Cairina moschata. 



Anas moschata, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 199 '. 



Cairina moschata, Moore, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 65^ Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 232'; P. Z. S. 1864, 

 p. 373"; 1876, p. 378'; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 13°; Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. 

 p. 315 ' ; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 50 ' ; Taylor, Ibis, 1860, p. 315 ' ; Salv. Ibis, 

 1865, p. 198 '" ; 1889, p. 377 " ; 1890, p. 89 ''; Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 378 " ; Sumichr. 

 La Nat. v. p. 234" ; Nutting, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 408 '' ; vi. p. 390 "; Richm. Pr. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 531 "; Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 51"; Underwood, 

 Ibis, 1896, p. 451"; Salvad. & Festa, Boll. Mus. Zool. Torino, xiv. no. 339, p. 13'°. 



Pileo cum collo et corpore subtus brunnescenti-nigris ; cervice postioa ima et dorso saturate viridibus, plumis 

 singulis nigro marginatis ; scapularibus cum supracaudalibus reotricibusque saturate nitenti-viridibus ; 

 tectricibus alarum albis ; remigibus nigris, secundariis metallice viridibus, nitore cj'aneo adumbratis ; 

 corporis lateribus uigris, viridi lavatis ; subalaribus et axillaribus pure albis : rostro rubescenti-albo, nigro 

 variegato ; carunculis coccineis ; pedibus nigris ; iride brunnescenti-flava. Long, tota circa 29"0, alee 14-5, 

 caudse 7*5, culm. 2-5, tarsi 2-3. (Descr. exempl. ex. Huamachal. Mus. nostr.) 



5 mari similis, sed minor, et carunculis faciei absentibus distinguenda. (Descr. exempl. ex Huamachal. 

 Mus. nostr.) 



Juv. ptilosi sordidiore et tectricibus alarum brunnescenti-nigris distinguenda. 



Rab. Mexico, Mazatlan ( Grayson ^), Presidio (Forrer ^^), Rio Zacatula [Xantus "), 

 both coasts ^^, Tapana^, Santa Efigenia^ {Sumichrast), Cozumel I. (Gaumer ^^ ^^) ; 

 British Hondukas, Belize {0. S.^) ; Guatemala, Lake of Peten [Leyland^), 

 Huamachal 1°, Chiapam^*', Santana Mixtan^ {0. S.) ; Hondukas, Chimalacon 

 and Aloor Rivers {Leyland^), Lake of Yojoa (Taylor^) ; Nicaragua, Sucuya 

 {Nutting ^^), Rio Escondido {Biclimond i') ; Costa Rica, MiravaUes ( CJirferwooti ^^), 

 La Palma, Gulf of Nicoya {Nutting ^^^j, Guanacaste {v. Frantzius ^^) ; Panama 

 {M'Leannan * ^), Laguna de Pita {Festa ^o). — South America generally i^. 



The Muscovy Duck, well known in a domestic state in nearly all parts of the globe, 

 is a native of the tropical regions of the New World and is found abundantly 

 on both coasts of Central America. It usually frequents low swampy districts, and 

 is often plentiful on rivers bordered by extensive forests. During the day the birds 

 remain in the swamps, but towards evening they congregate on the lower boughs of 

 the trees on the mar-gin of a clearing, where, at a distance, they look not unlike a flock 

 of Black Vultures {Catharista atrata). 



C. moschata is usually met with either in pairs or singly, but sometimes in flocks of 

 twenty or thirty. It always roosts in trees, resorting to the same place night after 

 night. The bird is said to breed in December, and the nest, in which from ten to 



