62 CAIRINA MOSCHATA 



controlling quite a harem, but it often happened that the weaker birds waited 

 patiently until the stronger ones had almost killed each other, after which they ap- 

 propriated the females themselves! While fighting, the birds seized each other by 

 the head and struck powerfully with their wings, plucking out each other's feathers. 

 The struggle is accompanied by loud cries, but the character of these the authors do 

 not specify. Why these violent fights did not occur in Heinroth's semi-domestic 

 birds is not evident. During these fights the females swim about quite unconcernedly. 

 They show no interest in their lords and often quietly take flight during the struggle. 

 Where these birds are numerous the water along the shores is often covered with a 

 thick layer of feathers, a fact noted also by the earlier travelers. 



There is very little information as to the time of year when the species nests. 

 Sclater and Salvin (1859) were informed that in Central America the Muscovy breeds 

 in December, but at the mouth of the Amazons the month of February is given 

 (Hagmann, 1907). A young brood was taken by Cherrie in Venezuela, May 30th. 

 No doubt the date of nesting is very irregular, but the month of December for 

 Central America certainly does not conform with the breeding season of other 

 species. 



There are no observations on the courtship of this species in the wild state, but 

 Heinroth (1911) has given an excellent account of the behavior of individuals three- 

 fourths wild in the Berlin Zoological Gardens. The sexes do not associate closely 

 together, and there appears to be no family life comparable to that seen in most ducks 

 and geese. Suppose, he continues, that there are on a pond a few Muscovy males 

 and a number of females, we should then see one of the males, wholly in contrast 

 to his otherwise easygoing manner, suddenly rush at one of the females. She flies 

 away and a mad pursuit begins, as a result of which the obstinate female is quite 

 regularly overtaken, ordinarily on the water, but sometimes also on land. As soon 

 as the male seizes the feathers of the head or back she ordinarily lies as though 

 hypnotized, with head and neck outstretched in the well-known mating position. 

 The male usually does not immediately complete the act, but lets her go and swims 

 around her, executing his peculiar head movement in its most extreme expression, 

 now and again picking at the back feathers of the female with his bill. Then suddenly 

 he throws himself upon the female, but usually only to fall over on the other side, 

 repeating these violent tactics several times. Finally, however, he proceeds to the 

 pairing act which is executed in a very awkward manner, so that one might think 

 that the female after its completion would be about half-dead. Nevertheless, the 

 two separate peacefully and paddle toward the shore, bathing themselves energeti- 

 cally. 



If there are more males than females at a time just before the laying period, when 

 the females are eager to mate, the pursuit by the male is ordinarily omitted. As 

 soon as the female sees the male rushing at her, she then usually lies down quietly 



