duck. 227 



This species inhabits Falkland Islands, Staaten Land, &c. mostly 

 seen in pairs, though sometimes in large flocks : from the shortness 

 of the wings they are unable to fly ; but make considerable use of 

 them when in the water, on which they seem as it were to run ; at 

 least they swim, with the assistance of the wings used as oars, at an 

 incredible rate, so that it is a most difficult thing to shoot them while 

 in this situation ; to remedy this, the sailors used to surround a flock 

 with boats, and drive them on shore ; where, unable to raise them- 

 selves from the ground, they ran very fast, but soon growing tired, 

 and squatting down to rest, were easily overtaken, and knocked 

 down with sticks. The flesh was sometimes eaten by the sailors, in 

 defect of that of the Bustard Goose, but not much relished, being 

 rank and fishy, and thought more proper for the hogs ; which, after 

 it had been boiled in the copper, ate it greedily, and fattened well. 



8— HYBRID GOOSE. 



Anas hybrida, Ind. Orn. ii. 835. Gm.Lin. i. 502. Molin. Chil. 213. Id. Fr. ed. 221. 

 Hybrid Goose, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 345. 



SIZE of the Domestic Goose, but the neck somewhat shorter, 

 and the wings and tail longer. The male has the plumage of a 

 pure white throughout, with the bill and legs yellow ; the bill is 

 semicylindrical, with a red cere. The female is black, except some 

 streaks of white, arising from the tips of several of the feathers being 

 bordered with white. The bill and legs red ; the legs nearly the 

 same as in the Common Goose. 



This species inhabits the Archipelago of Chiloe, in South Ame- 

 rica, and may be called monogamous, as the male and female are 

 never found apart, not uniting in flocks as the other sorts ; during 

 the time of incubation they retire to the rivers, where the female 

 generally lays about eight white eggs, in a hole, formed out of the 



sand. 



Gg2 



