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Show 406 MESSRS. S C L A T E R A N D SALVIN O N [Apr. 4, dive into the water. They seldom fly, and then only with a heavy laboured flight. The bird referred to by Mr. Gosse as the Quail-duck, or E. ortygoides of Mr. Hill, is the male of this species. Mr. A. Newton describes what he believes to have been a flock of this Duck in St. Croix. He observed them for some time, but was unable to obtain a specimen. Leotaud tells us it is not rare in Trinidad. In Central America this Lake-duck occurs as far north as the neighbourhood of Mazatlan, where Col. Grayson obtained it, and Jalapa, where Salle collected specimens. Further south, down the Isthmus, it has not yet been recorded ; but Salvin has recently received a skin obtained by Arce somewhere in Veragua. W e have no recent testimony as to the occurrence of this species in Guiana and Amazonia; but in South and Central Brazil it appears to be found in all the freshwater lakes. In Entrerios it was obtained by Mr. Lee near Gualeguaychu, and in the adjoining republic of Uruguay by Sellow. In La Sagra's 'Cuba' D'Orbigny mentions that he procured examples of it in the small lakes of the province of Chiquitos in Bolivia, its furthest known range in this direction. Subfamily VI. MERGANETTINAE. The Torrent-ducks form a peculiar and somewhat isolated group of the Anatidae, restricted to the Andes of South America from Colombia to Chili. Genus M E R G A N E T T A . Type. Merganetta, Gould, P. Z. S. 1841, p. 95 M. chilensis. Raphipterus, Gay, Faun. Chil. p. 459 (1848) .... M. chilensis. The three species may be diagnosed from the male dress as follows :- a. Gutture nigro 1. armata. b. Gutture albo. Ventre nigro, medialiter fusco variegato 2. turneri. Ventre albo griseo flammulato 3. leucogenyt. In the females the under surface is of a uniform chestnut-red. 1. MERGANETTA ARMATA. Merganetta armata, Gould, P. Z. S. 1841, p. 95 (Chile); Des Murs, Icon. Orn. t. 48 $ (Chili); Gray & Mitch. Gen. of B. t. 170 (cJ); Bibra, Denkschr. Akad. Wien, v. p. 132, et J. fur Orn. 1855, p. 37 ; Cassin in Gilliss's Exp. ii. p. 204 (1856) ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 340; Scl. & Salv. Ex. Orn. p. 200, et Nom. Av. Neotr. p. 131. Biziura armata, Schl. Mus. des P.-B., Anseres, p. 12. Baphipterus chilensis, Gay, Faun. Chil. p. 459 (1848) ; Phil. & Landb. Cat. Av. Chil. p. 43. Merganetta chilensis, Des Murs, Icon. Orn. t. 5 ( d ). Supra nigra, plumis albo utrinque marginatis; capite colloque postico et laterali albis, pileo medio in strigam nuchalem pro- |
