164 DENDROCYGNA DISCOLOR 



1917). M. A. Carriker (in lift.) reports that in Santa Marta the species is common. On the Pacific 

 coast it is found south through Ecuador (Illingworth, British Museum; Brabourne and Chubb, 1912- 

 15) and in eastern Peru on the Ucayali River (Bartlett, British Museum; Goeldi and Hagmann, 

 1902) as well as at Moyobamba (Taczanowski, 1886). It is a common bird in the countries along 

 the north coast of South America, having been found in Venezuela abundant on the Orinoco (Cherrie, 

 1916), and on the Caura River (Andre, 1904), and apparently breeding at Altagracia (Berlepsch and 

 Hartert, 1902). Both in Venezuela and in the Guianas it comes to the coast during the dry season and 

 is found inland during the wet season. C. B. Dawson (1916), Young (1893), and Ernst (1877) have 

 all recorded it from British Guiana, where it was also taken by Whitely (British Museum) on the 

 Rupurumi River. In Surinam, or Dutch Guiana, it is abundant and breeds (F. P. and A. P. Penard, 

 1908-10). The type of the species was taken in this province by Kappler. There are various old 

 records for its occurrence in French Guiana, especially about Cayenne (Berlepsch, 1908). Off the 

 north coast it is resident and common in Trinidad (Leotaud, 1866; F. M. Chapman, 1894); and 

 occurs occasionally on Barbados, Mustique, and St. Vincent (Clark, 1905). 



This species is found throughout Brazil excepting in the southeastern sections. About the mouth ol 

 the Amazons it is common, having been recorded from Marajo (Goeldi, 1894-1900; Hellmayr, 1907) 

 and having been found breeding on Marajo, Cavianna and Mexiana Islands (Hagmann, 1907; Hell- 

 mayr, 1912). Von Pelzeln (1868-71) and H. and R. von Ihering (1907) have recorded it for Para. It 

 apparently occurs along the entire course of the Amazons and its tributaries. Von Pelzeln (1868-71) 

 found it along the Rio Branco, Rio Negro and Rio Madeira, down through Matto Grosso and the 

 Upper Parana to Sao Paulo. Hellmayr (1908) also has recorded it from the Rio Araguaya, and young 

 were taken at Goyaz; he furthermore (1907) has recorded a specimen from Obidos on the north bank 

 of the Amazons. H. and R. von Ihering (1907) state that it occurs in Matto Grosso, Amazonas, and 

 also in Minas Geraes. Natterer {fide von Pelzeln, 1868-71) took specimens on the Rio Parana, which 

 appears to be the southern limit of its range, though a pair was taken near Corumba on the Upper 

 Paraguay (Salvadori, 1900). The species does not seem to extend beyond the Tropic of Capricorn, 

 except accidentally, nor has it been recorded from Bolivia. It undoubtedly occurs in that country, 

 however, for von Pelzeln (1868-71) found it along the Guapore and Madeira Rivers. The birds are 

 apparently very rare, if occurring at all, along the eastern coast of Brazil. I find no records for Bahia, 

 Pernambuco or Ceara, though the species very likely occurs there. It has recently been recorded for 

 northern Argentina, Dabbene (Bol. Soc. Physis, vol. 1, p. 533, 1915) stating that there are in the 

 Shiptin Collection various specimens from Tres Pozos, eastern Salta, and that the National Museum 

 at Buenos Aires has young specimens from that region. 



GENERAL HABITS 

 Haunts. From the Santa Marta district of Colombia, M. A. Carriker writes me 

 that the Southern Red-billed Tree Ducks are like other Tree Ducks in being decidedly 

 birds of the tropical lowlands, not going above three thousand feet, and scarcely 

 above one thousand feet save under exceptional conditions, such as obtain in the 

 Cauca Valley, which is very hot for its altitude. They are found in about all locali- 

 ties where ducks might be looked for: on lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers, and even 

 brackish estuaries, but they prefer fresh-water lagoons, ponds or sluggish rivers, 

 surrounded by, or near forests. In this part of Colombia the present species seems 

 to be the only Tree Duck. In the Guianas the birds are said to come to the coast in 

 the dry season, returning inland during the wet season (F. P. and A. P. Penard, 

 1908-10). 



