MUSCOVY DUCK 59 



statement much credence. It does, however, inhabit the island of Trinidad (F. M. Chapman, 1894; 



Leotaud, 1866). Many years ago R. Schomburgk (1848) spoke of it as abundant in British Guiana, 



and in recent years it has been found there by Whitely (Salvin, 1886) (alt. 2700 ft.) and _, . 



by Dawson (1916). It is also abundant in Dutch Guiana, on the coast as well as inland 



(F. P. and A. P. Penard, 1908-10) and, though there are no records, we may assume that it inhabits 



also French Guiana. 



Throughout the greater part of Brazil the Muscovy is commonly met with. It is abundant on 

 Mexiaua Island, in the mouth of the Amazons, and breeds there (Hagmann, 1907) and has been re- 

 ported as abundant also in Para, Marajo Island, Arary and Amapa (Goeldi, 1894- „ .. 

 1900). According to H. and R. von Ihering (1907) it is found in Bahia, Minas Geraes 

 and Rio de Janeiro, while von Pelzeln has recorded it from the whole central region of Matto Grosso 

 and Rio Madeira. It occurs in Bolivia (D'Orbigny, 1835-44) and in the region of the _. .. . 

 Brazilian-Peruvian frontier, at Pebas in eastern Peru (Sclater and Salvin, 1867) and 

 on the upper Ucayali (Sclater and Salvin, 1866). The species has recently been taken at Charuplaya, 

 Bolivia (C. Chubb, 1919). Von Tschudi (1845-46) met with it even on the coast of p 

 Peru, between Lurin and Chorillos, as well as on the lagoons of the high plateaux; and 

 Farabee, collecting for the Museum of Comparative Zoology, took two specimens in May, 1909, 

 on the Rio Tambapata, eastern Peru. De Armas (1893) claims that it was exceedingly abundant 

 there in years gone by. 



South of the Tropic of Capricorn the species becomes rarer. H. and R. von Ihering (1907) state 

 that it is found in southeastern Brazil in Sao Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul, while both Burmeister 

 (1872) and von Pelzeln (1868-71) have recorded it from the Rio Parana. Berlepsch Southeast- 

 and von Ihering (1885) reported a specimen from Taquara, Rio Grande do Sul. In Para- em Brazil 

 guay the species was found common by Azara (1805) and C. H. B. Grant (1911) states Paraguay 

 that it is still common in the northern parts, especially at Puerto Maira. It occurs quite frequently 

 also in the Argentine, whence it has been recorded from Oran and Salta (Bruch, 1904; . . 



E. W. White, 1882). It is known to have bred in the Chaco (Hartert and Venturi, 1909). 

 It is known also from Tucuman (Burmeister, 1872; H. and R. von Ihering, 1907; Lillo, 1902) and La 

 Ramada (Lillo, 1902), from Santa Fe (Burmeister, 1872) and from Buenos Aires (Venturi, fide Dab- 

 bene, 1910; Sclater and Hudson, 1889). It occurs occasionally in Uruguay (Tremole- „ 

 ras, 1920), though the mouth of the La Plata is far south for the species. A remarkable 

 record is that of Oustalet (1901), who tells of the species having been found breeding and occurring 

 in some numbers near Rocca, five miles south of the Rio Negro; that is, about 40° south latitude. 



Pallas (1831), and later on, among others, Keyserling and Blasius (1840), held that this species 

 originally came from the Caspian, and that it is still to be found there in the wild state. This view 

 is, of course, no longer supported by modern ornithologists, and so eminent an authority as Radde 

 (1884), while admitting that wild birds were found in that region, states that they were undoubtedly 

 descendants of escaped birds. In like manner are to be regarded the specimens that from time to 

 time are taken in Europe, though in years gone by Schlegel (1866) as well as Degland (1849) firmly 

 believed some of the specimens from western France were wild birds. Occasionally examples are 

 taken on the east coast of North America. These also are unquestionably escaped birds or descend- 

 ants of such. M. J. Nicoll, in his "Three Voyages of a Naturalist" (1908, p. 224), says the natives 

 of Tautira in the Tahiti Group brought many of these birds aboard. It has long been domesticated 

 in the Pacific Isles generally. 



The species has been domesticated not only in Europe and America, but even in Liberia (John- 

 ston, 1906) and East Africa (G. A. Fischer, 1885), so that we may expect to find it almost anywhere. 



