Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

Feb. 1827. STEAMER-DUCK. 35 occasions, he attempted to change the name of the strait to Estrecho de la Madre de Dios ; but it had been too long called Magalhaens, for even the influence of Sarmiento, backed by the power of Philip, to persuade the world to countenance so great an injustice. " Magallanes, SeJior, fue el primer hombre Que abriendo este camino le di6 nombre." Ercilla Araiicana, Cant. T. oct. S. During an excursion with Mr. Tarn to Eagle Bay,* beyond Cape San Isidro, we found many wigwams. They were then novelties to us, and we were ignorant of their being such cer- tain indications of very sheltered places, as subsequent expe- rience has shown them to be. We often used them, after they had been well cleaned out : a boat's sail, thrown over the hemispherical roof, was a sufficient protection from rain; — and from wind they are always well defended by their situation. Here we saw, for the first time, that most remarkable bird the Steamer-duck. Before steam-boats were in general use, this bird was denominated, from its swiftness in skimming over the surface of the water, the ' race-horse,' a name which occurs frequently in Cook's, Byron's, and other voyages. It is a gigantic duck, the largest I have met with. It has the lobated hind- toe, legs placed far backwards, and other characteristics of the oceanic ducks.-f- The principal peculiarity of this bird is, the shortness and remarkably small size of the wings, which, not having sufficient power to raise the body, serve only to propel it along, rather than through the water, and are used like the paddles of a steam-vessel. Aided by these and its strong, broad-webbed feet, it moves with astonishing velocity. * So named by Bougainville. t It belongs to the group which M. Teraminck has lately named Hylohates, without attending to the name long since conferred upon it by Dr. Fleming. I designated it Oidemia Patachonica, from its large dimensions, in my communication upon the Ornithology of the Straits. Zoological Journal, vol. iv. p. 100. On my return to England, I found that M. de Freycinet had figured this bird, in the account of his last voyage in I'Uranie, where it is described by Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard under the name of Microj)terus brachypterus. D 2