ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL. 187 
colours give it a very handsome appearance—the wings being 
clear greyish-blue, the body deep maroon-red, the feet vivid 
yellow, beak black, and iris gold-colour. On the Pampas it is 
common and almost invariably seen in pairs at all seasons. 
Eyton states that it is extremely common in the west of 
South America, and that he had received specimens from Chili, 
from which place it was first brought home by Captain King. 
Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway refer to the bird as frequenting 
Western America, and as a casual visitor in the north-eastern 
regions. The British Museum possesses the specimen from 
which my notes are taken, therefore there may possibly be some 
variation in the colour of bill and legs, as compared with 
the living bird. In Jardine and Selby’s “ Illustrations of 
Ornithology,” attention is drawn to the curious dilatation of the 
bill in this bird. Five specimens were purchased by the 
Zoological Society between 1884 and 1893, but there is no 
record of their having bred in the Gardens. 
Male.—Head, neck, and breast rich chestnut, glossed 
with violet ; crown of head dark brown; dorsal feathers tipped 
with black ; wing-coverts bright light blue; wing-bar metallic 
gréen; quills and tail-feathers black; eye orange-brown ; feet 
orange ; bill black. 
Female.—Head and neck dusky-brown, darker on the 
crown, each feather bordered with whitish-buff; these colours 
prevail all over part of back and breast, with pale brown edges 
broad and conspicuous ; wing-coverts dull light blue ; speculum 
metallic greenish ; feet yellowish-brown. 
«* Male.—General plumage red; top of head black ; middle of 
back and scapularies streaked with black ; lesser wing-coverts blue; wing- 
speculum green, margined above with white ; primary wing-feathers black, 
secondaries flammulated with white and buff; bill black ; feet yellow. 
‘¢ Female.—Above blackish, feathers margined with whitish ; 
beneath dirty-white, variegated with brown; throat white, with blackish 
freckles.” (‘¢ Argentine Ornithology,” Sclater and Hudson). 
