1026 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



of fifteen : (1) 2-13 x 1-42, (2) 2-12 x 1-4, (3) 2-09 x 1-43, (4) 2-05 x 1-49 • 

 Occasionally the eggs of this Duck have here and there (somotinies on 

 the end, at other times on the side) reddish or piu-plish-brown spots 

 underlying the surface of the shell. These singular markings (for Ducks' 

 eggs) have been observed in more than one clutch. 



Observations. — There are two species of Whistling Ducks in Australia. 

 The one imder notice wears, in general, a rich reddish-brown coat, with 

 short dark bill and large feet (suitable for occasionally perching on trees), 

 also dark. The flanks are singidarly ornamented with lengthened, 

 whitish feathers, margined on either side with strips of black. 



This exceedingly fine Whistling Duck enjoys a range extending not 

 only throughout the gi'oater part of Australia, bvit to Austro-Malayan 

 regions, and parts of the Pacific. In his original work, Gould was 

 correct in calling it arr.uata, believing it to be the Java bird. But 

 apparently he allowed his vanity to get the upper hand, because, for a 

 few minor differences found in the Australian bird, he afterwards 

 accepted Prince Charles Bonaparte's new specific name, gmihli. 



The wings of all Ducks produce, more or less, a whistling noise when 

 the birds are rapidly flying, but the vernacular name of this bird is 

 derived from its loud and very characteristic whistling note, generally 

 emitted when the bird is at rest or alarmed. 



During the months from September to December, Gilbert found the 

 Wliistling Ducks in vast flocks on the lakes in the Port Darwin district. 

 Some eggs brought to the settlement of Port Essington by tlie natives, 

 said to belong to this Diick, were taken early in March, from nests built 

 in long gi'ass on the small i.slaiids adjacent to the harbour. 



To the late Mr. George Barnard I was indebted for a pair of eggs 

 from an imusually large clutch of fifteen, foimd in a. tiissock of grass at 

 Coomooboolaroo. Mr. Barnard wi-ote : — " Coming home with cattle on 

 the 25th Mav, 1890, my sons flu.shed a duck of some sort off a nest in 

 the grass too hurriedly to see what it was. They left it till next day, 

 when one of them rode out to identify the species. It proved to be 

 a ' Whistler.' The nest wa.s made in the grass, without any lining of 

 feathers or down, and contained fifteen eggs in an early stage of incuba- 

 tion, several of which he took. Tliis Duck is very common in the 

 neighbourhood, and is found froqiienting the large swamps, but this is 

 the fi'st time we have obtained the nest." 



Mr. S. W. Jackson, South Grafton, Clarence River, Now Soutli 

 Wales, writes: — Re the Wliistling Duck's eggs and situation of ne.st. 

 The set of these rare eggs (four) I foi-warded to' you were found by 

 myself in the following manner, on November 9th, 1894. I found the ( g?s 

 in a nest constructed of gi-ass, laid flat on the gi-ound, among a field of 

 oats, which were half dead, and those were bent do\vn to the ground to 

 form the nest. Upon this wa.s a deep layer of dead grass, upon which 

 wore twenty or thirty eucalypt (gum) leaves. Strange to say, tliere was 

 not a feather in the nest. I shot lioth male and female a.s they flew 

 away from the nest, for identification. Their description agreed with 

 that given in Gould's ' Handbook.' I have visited the same locality 

 several times since, but without further success." 



