28 BULLETIN 326, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



about El Boqueron and in the lagoons below it, the birds are also reported. 

 None were seen in the course of the present work. Gundlach (1878, p. 398) 

 found them at El Boqueron and on the south coast, and remarks that they 

 are said to be common on the east coast and on the off-lying islands. Ledru 

 (1810, p. 209) mentions them from the River Loisa. 



MASKED DUCK. Nomonyx dominicus (Linnaeus). 

 Pato Chorizo, Pato Dominica. 



The masked duck is probably a rare resident in Porto Rico, though there 

 are no recent records for it. Gundlach (1878a, p. 162) took it at the Laguna 

 de Guanica and saw it in the collection of Hjalmarson at Arecibo (reported by 

 Sundevall 1869, p. 603) and in that of Blanco in San Juan. Stahl (1883, p. 

 65) records one specimen in his cabinet as taken in Porto Rico. 



RUDDY DUCK. Erismatura jamaicensis (Gmelin). 

 Pato Chorizo. 



Ruddy ducks appear to be regular migrants to Porto Rico, though I did not 

 see any. Gundlach (1878, p. 407) remarks that he found them "hatching" 

 at the Laguna de Guanica in November, 1873, but says nothing more regarding 

 their breeding. At the time of my visit in May, 1912, the Bahama pintail 

 (Pwcilonetta bahamensis) was common and the only duck nesting there. 

 Gundlach (loc. cit, 403) did not record the Bahama pintail nearer than 

 Boqueron and it is possible that he may have attributed nests or young seen 

 at Guanica to the wrong bird. Stahl (1887, p. 453) also remarks that the 

 ruddy duck breeds in Porto Rico, but may have been quoting Gundlach's 

 record. More definite information is necessary in order to recognize the ruddy 

 duck as a breeding species. 



BUFFLE-HEAD. Charitonetta albeola (Linnaeus). 

 Pato Pinto. 



A specimen of the buffle-head was found by Richmond (MS.) in Stahl's col- 

 lection of birds, which he examined in San Juan. This is the only record for 

 the island, and the bird must be considered an accidental visitor there. The 

 only other West Indian record is of a bird found in the market in Habana, 

 Cuba (Cooke, 1906, p. 52). 



RING-NECKED DUCK. Harila collaris (Donovan). 

 Pato del Medio, Pato Silvestre. 



The only certain records for the ring-necked duck in Porto Rico are those 

 of Gundlach (1878, p. 406), who saw a specimen taken in winter near San 

 Juan by Blanco, and (1878a, p. 162) also mentions one taken by himself. 

 Stahl (1883, p. 65) includes it in his list without comment. 



LESSER SCAUP DUCK. Marila afflnis (Eyton). 

 Pato del Medio., Pato Silvestre., Pato Morisco. 



The lesser scaup duck is a winter resident and is probably common. Many 

 ducks are said to occur on the lagoons of Porto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra 

 during the wintertime, and it is probable that they are largely this species. 

 Gundlach (1878, p. 405) found them common at Boqueron and the Laguna de 

 Guanica, and Stahl (1883, p. 154) had specimens in his collection taken prob- 

 ably near San Juan. The only place at which this species was certainly identi- 

 fied was at the Laguna de Guanica, where a crippled bird was taken May 26. 

 A flock of about a dozen seen in the open water on the same date probably 

 were of the same species. In April ducks apparently of this species were on a 

 lagoon known as Flamenco on Culebra Island. 



