58 CAIRINA MOSCHATA 



Immature Specimens: Less glossy on the back and wing-coverts without white, or with only a few 

 white feathers. 



Young in Down : Not particularly characteristic. Bill very heavy and somewhat hooked at the tip. 

 General coloration somewhat similar to that of a young Mallard but the orbit streak does not extend 

 forward of the eye, only back of it. The superciliary light streaks are very prominent, meeting 

 in front so as to form a nearly white forehead thus differing somewhat from the pattern seen in the 

 Mallard. 



DISTRIBUTION 



The Muscovy, which is found in almost all parts of the world in the domesticated state, is a distinctly 



tropical species confined to the New World. Its chief habitat is Central America and northern South 



__ . America. It is not considered a migrant and breeds in all suitable localities. The range 



Mexico 



extends northward to perhaps the Tropic of Cancer in Mexico, it having been found a 



common resident and breeding bird at Mazatlan, Grayson (Lawrence, 1874) and Forrer (fide Salvin 

 and Godman, 1897-1904) having met with it at Presidio. The northern limit is apparently Rio Cruz, 

 central Tamaulipas (Phillips, 1911). De Armas (1893) states that it is common all over Mexico, and 

 Sumichrast (1881) has recorded it for both coasts. Cooke (1906), however, is probably right in fixing 

 the northwestern limit at Mazatlan, nor do I believe the species in the wild state is common north of 

 central Mexico. Xantus (Lawrence, 1874) found the birds on the Zacatula River and Sumichrast 

 (1881) has recorded it from Tapana and Santa Efigenia. Off the coast of Yucatan it has been met 

 with on Cozumel Island (Salvin, 1889). 



Throughout Central America this species is abundant. It has been recorded from Belize, British 

 Honduras (Sclater and Salvin, 1859) and from Peten Lake (Leyland, 1859), in Guatemala from 

 Centra] Yaxha Lake and Rio Polochic on the Atlantic side, and from Santana Mixtan, Chiapam, 



America and Huamachal on the Pacific side (Sclater and Salvin, 1859, 1865). Leyland (Moore, 



British 1859) met with it in Honduras on the Chamalacon and Aloor Rivers and G. C. Taylor 



Honduras (1860) reported it from Lake Yojoa in the same State. It is extremely abundant in west- 

 Guatemala ern Nicaragua at Sucuya and has been found breeding about Lake Nicaragua (March, 

 Nicaragua 1864). Richmond (1893) met with it on the Rio Escondido. According to various ob- 



servers it is extremely common also in Costa Rica, whence it has been recorded for the 



Gulf of Nicoya and La Palma (Nutting, 1882) for Miravalles (Underwood, 1896) and 

 for Guanacaste (von Frantzius, 1869). Carriker (1910) states that it is commonest on the Pacific side 

 (which seems to apply to all of Central America) and especially in Guanacaste. He records it also 

 from Bebedero, Bagaces, Miravalles, Rio Grande de Terraba, Buenos Aires and from Guacimo River 

 (on the Atlantic side), where it was very rare, though it is presumably to be found on the lower San 

 Juan River. M'Leannan (Sclater and Salvin, 1864) states that it occurs in Panama, and it has been 



recorded from there for Laguna de Pita (Salvadori and Festa, 1899) for Colon (de 



Armas, 1893) and also for the Canal Zone (Stone, 1918). 

 In South America this species seems to inhabit chiefly the northern areas. On the Magdalena, 

 Colombia, it is common from the mouth up as far as Yeguas (W. Robinson, 1895) and the same is true 

 South f° r the Cauca Valley (F. M. Chapman, 1917). Pomeroy (1918) has recorded it also for 



America the lower Magdalena and the Rio Frio. In Ecuador it has been found on the Pastaza 



Colombia River (Goeldi and Hagmann, 1902). Ernst (1877) met with it in Venezuela and Beebe 

 Ecuador (1909) states that in the northeast it is quite common at the mouth of the San Juan. 



Venezuela \i j s abundant also on the Caura and on the Orinoco at Altagracia and Quiribana de 

 West Indies Caicara ( von Berlepsch and Hartert, 1902). Its occurrence in the West Indies is still 



questionable. Gosse (1847) and Newton (1881) are doubtful about its presence in Ja- 

 maica, and though Ballet (1895) has recorded it from Guadeloupe I am inclined not to lend the 



