172 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



solution, as it would surely be an almost un- 

 precedented thing to find two very nearly allied 

 species living together, one able to fly and the other 

 unable to do so. At the same time, it is somewhat 

 remarkable that, although we saw examples of 

 this duck of all ages and in all stages of develop- 

 ment, we met with but one which was able to fly. 

 It may be that this species is gradually becoming 

 entirely flightless, and that the volant individuals 

 met with are survivals of a former stage in a state 

 of transition, and have not as yet lost the fuU 

 power of flight. 



A fine pair of adult steamer-ducks which we 

 obtained, weighed respectively 9^ and 10 pounds 

 (a young bird with downy wings was only 5 pounds 

 in weight). I, therefore, cannot believe that this 

 species can ever weigh, as has been stated, as much 

 as 20 pounds. The gizzards of all those examined 

 by us contained broken fragments of the shells of 

 mussels.* 



In Port Gallant anchorage we saw a large flock 

 of surface-feeding ducks, but were unable to obtain 

 specimens. Some dotterel| — a southern repre- 

 sentative of the bird which nests now so rarely on 

 the hills of the north of England and Scotland — 

 were feeding on the edge of a large fresh-water 

 lagoon, and I shot two young examples. A black- 

 bird| was also obtained — a bird in first plumage, 



♦ Mytilus magellanicus. f Eudromias modesta. 



X Turdua magellanicus. 



