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Show 360 MESSRS. SCLATER AND SALVIN ON [Apr. 4, ire doubtfully represented by the two aberrant genera Metopiana and Tachyeres; and the Andean Merganetta stands quite alone. The Shovellers (Spatula) of north and south are strictly congeneric ; so also are the members of the genera Erismatura and Mergus. Returning to the strictly tropical members of this family, and tracing their alliances and range, we find some remarkable facts in geographical distribution, which, so far as we are aware, find no parallel amongst birds. The genus Chenalopex contains but two species-one belonging to the valley of the Amazons and the adjoining districts, the other to Africa. Sarcidiornis is found in Paraguay, Africa, Madagascar, the peninsula of India, Ceylon, and Burmah. Dendrocygna viduata is common to both the American and African continents; and D. fulva is found alike in America, India, and Madagascar. The causes of this singular distribution of so many members of one family are at present inexplicable. The greater part of our characters in the following synopsis are taken from specimens in the collection of Salvin and Godman, which contains most of the known South-American species. In selecting specimens for description we have sought out such as came from the same or the nearest locality to that where the original types were procured. III. SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES OF NEOTROPICAL ANATIDAE. The Anatidae may be divided into the following seven subfamilies :- I. Anserina or Geese. II. Cygnina or Swans. III. Anatina or River-ducks. IV. Fuligulina or Sea-ducks. V. Erismaturina or Lake-ducks. VI. Merganettina, or Torrent-ducks. VII. Mergina or Mergansers. Subfamily I. ANSERINE. Genus 1. A N S E R . Type. Anser, Cuv. Regn. An. i. p. 530 (1817) A. cinereus. Chen, Boie', Isis, 1822, p. 563 A. hyperboreus. Anser is strictly an arctopolitan form, of which winter visitants belonging to three species occur in the Antilles. 1. ANSER HYPERBOREUS. Anser hyperboreus, Pallas, Spic. Zool. vi. p. 31 (1769); Zoogr. vol. ii. p. 227, t. 65 ; Baird, B. of N. A m . p. 760 (1858) ; Cab. J. fiir Orn. 1857, p. 225 (Cuba); March, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1864, p. 70 (Jamaica). Chen hyperboreus, Gundl. Repert. F.-N. i. p. 387, et J. fur Orn. 1875, p. 371 (Cuba). Hab. Cuba (Gundlach) ; Jamaica (March). |
