STEAMER DUCK 289 



(wider nine pounds as against ten to eleven pounds) their wings are actually longer. One of these, No. 

 2914, was shot while flying at Punto Delgado. It has a wing of 275 and weighed 8.4 pounds, and is 

 typical of the dark reddish type. 



The range of wing measurement of this type is from 277 to 295 mm. in the males and 262 to 285 in 

 the females. A series of six females in this plumage from the Falkland Islands, taken in October and 

 November, and thus at least one year old, are smaller, 255 to 275 mm., although they have no appear- 

 ance of immaturity. Moreover, the condition of the sex organs in the "red" birds is not very differ- 

 ent, at a corresponding season of the year, from that seen in the larger (gray) birds. 



Intermediate Types: These consist of three specimens collected by W. S. Brooks in the Falkland 

 Islands (now in Museum of Comparative Zoology) besides several in the Beck series (Brewster- 

 Sanford collection). In these the top of the head is getting gray or nearly white, the sides of the head 

 and neck are streaked with white to nearly pure white as in the adult of the gray type, while the chin 

 and throat still contain varying amounts of brick red. The feathers of the upper side are a clearer 

 gray, especially the mantle, while the scapulars and flanks still have wide brown edges. The bills of 

 these specimens are not clear yellow, but yellow at the base and around the nostrils, while the coarse 

 carunculated appearance begins to be noticeable. These birds (males) are one year or two years old, 

 probably the latter. 



Wing 270-275 mm. (in one case a very large spur); bill 52-60; tarsus 65-72. 



We thus have some birds with an intermediate plumage which are larger (bill and tarsus) than 

 those in the full red plumage but have wings of similar or shorter length! 



Young ev Down (see Plate 65) : Very peculiar and distinctive in appearance. Top of head, nape and 

 whole upper side light brown, more pearly gray on the mantle. Whole lower side pure white except 

 the breast which has a faint buffy tinge. Lores and cheeks light buffy brown shading to almost white 

 on sides of neck, while above, behind, and below the eye are indefinite whitish streaks forming, with a 

 slightly darker streak between the bill and the eye, a definite "face pattern." Bill and legs dark 

 lead-color in skins. 



Xote: If we consider the red types to be the younger plumages of a single common species, then it is 

 probable that full maturity is not reached until two and one-half or three years. If we divide the 

 Steamer Duck into two types (species?) then it seems likely that adult stages may be reached in a 

 much shorter time. 



DISTRIBUTION 



The famous Steamer Duck is a resident of southern South America. It never fails to attract the at- 

 tention of voyagers and it would, therefore, be unnecessary to give any except a few of the more im- 

 portant or recent references as to its occurrence. 



It is very abundant in the Falklands (Abbott, 1861; Vallentin, 1901, 1904; W. S. Brooks, 1917; 

 Beck, MS. notes), in Tierra del Fuego (Crawshay, 1907; Scott and Sharpe, 1912; Blaauw, 1912a, 

 1916a) and everywhere on the shores of the Straits of Magellan (Cunningham, 1871; Coppinger, 

 1883; Nicoll, 1908; Beck, MS. notes; etc., etc.). In Chile it is found on the coast as far north as 

 Valdivia, and is quite plentiful on Chiloe Island (Philippi, 1868; James, 1892; Lane, 1897; R. Paes- 

 sler, 1909; Quijada, 1910; Beck, MS. notes). According to G. E. Cox (1863) this bird is abundant on 

 the Andean Lakes (Nahuel-huapi, Todos los Santos, etc.), and Mr. J. R. Pemberton collected speci- 

 mens on Lago Felataufquen, Chubut. Oustalet (1891) and Dabbene (1910) both state that it occurs 

 on the east coast of Patagonia, but the statement of Scott and Sharpe (1912) that it is found as far 

 north as the mouth of the Rio Negro requires confirmation. C. V. Burmeister (1S88) has reported it 

 from as far north as Puerto Deseado. 



