Plate C. 



MEEGANETTA TURNER! 



(TUKNER'S TOEEENT-DUCK). 



Merganetta leucogenys 

 Merganetta turneri 



Scl. et Salv. P.Z.S. 1869, p. 157. 

 Scl. et Salv. P.Z.S. 1869, Nov. 25th, 



Supra nigra, interscapulio et scapularibus rufo marginatis : capite colloque toto albis, linea rostrum cingente, 

 pileo medio in strigam nuchalem producto et linea, utrinque collum descendente nigerrimis : alis extiis ccerulescenti- 

 cinereis; speculo alari seneo-viridi ; tectricibus alarum et secundariis albo auguste terminatis: abdomine nigro, ventre 

 medio fusco variegato : crisso et uropjgio nigris, albo minute vermiculatis : Cauda, fuscescenti-cinerea unicolore; tec- 

 tricibus subalaribus cinereis: rostro et pedibus obscure rubris : long, tota 160, ala3 7'5, caudse 50, rostri a rictu 1*5, 

 tarsi 1*8, digiti medii cum ungue 23. "Fern. Supra cinerea, lateribus cervicis et uropygio albo nigroque minute vermi- 

 culatis ; dorso nigro flammulato ; alis albo bifasciatis : speculo alari obscure asneo-viridi ; subtus fulvo-rufa unicolor ; 

 long, tota 16*0, ala3 6 '4, caudee 4 0, rostri a rictu 1*3 5. 



Hal. In Andibus Peruvian meridionalis. 



The pair of Torrent-Ducks which we now figure, were transmitted by Mr. H. Whitely 

 in one of his collections from Tinta, a village situated about 11,000 feet above the sea-level 

 in the highlands of Southern Peru, to the south-east of Cusco — the ancient Indian capital. 



In our fourth article on Mr. Whitely's collections from this district, published in the 

 " Proceedings" of the Zoological Society of London, we have referred this bird to the species 

 described by Tschudi as Merganetta leucogenys. Having, however, more recently made a 

 re-investigation of the group, we have convinced ourselves that Tschudi's bird is, as far as can 

 be decided by his figure and description, inseparable from the Merganetta columhiana of New 

 Granada, and that the present species must be regarded as undescribed, being equally distinct 

 from the New Granadian form, and from the Chilian Merganetta armata. From the former it 

 differs in its larger size, and black breast and flanks, which are only relieved by some brownish 

 marks in the middle of the belly. In the New Granadian bird, which is well represented in 

 Des Murs " Iconographie" (tab. vi.) the whole abdomen is white, sparingly striped with narrow 

 blackish markings, and the bill is narrower and much less elevated than in this species. 

 Merganetta armata, of which an excellent figure will be found in Gray and Mitchell's " Genera 

 of Birds," resembles the present bird in having a black breast, but the edges of the scapularies 

 are white instead of rufous, and the throat and fore neck are black, instead of being pure white 

 as in its two northern allies. It would seem, therefore, that our new species occupies an 

 intermediate position as regards the differential characters of the male, as in geographical range, 



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