I030 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



750. — Casauca TADOKNoiDES, Jai'diue. — (584) 

 SHIELDRAKE, OR MOUNTAIN DUCK. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 7. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. .x.xvii., p. 185. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Ramsay : Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S. 

 Wales, vol. vii., p. 58 (1882) ; Campbell : Southern .Science 

 Record (18S3) ; North : Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 339 (18S9). 



Gtoyruphical ^Distributiun. — New South Wales, Victoria, tSoutli, 

 West and North-west Austi'alia, and Tasmania. 



Ne.-it. — Usually witlun a hollow spout of a tree, or hole of cliff, 

 generally bordering a stream, &e., but not unfrequently away from 

 water; occasionally the nest is constnicted of herbage upon the gi'ound. 

 The nesting place is furnished witJi a quantity of down intemiixed with 

 grass, the down being gi'ej'ish, each particle with a whitish centre but 

 with dark tips. 



Effij.'i. — Clutch, ten to twelve usually, thirteen to seventeen rarely ; 

 roundish oval in shape ; smface comparatively fine, glossy or greasy to 

 the touch ; coloiu", hght creamy-white'. Dimensions in inches of a set 

 of eight : (1) 2-84 X 1-96, (2) 2-8 x 1-97, (3) 2-79 x 1-96, (4) 2-76 x 1-99, 

 (5) 2-76 X 1-9, (6) 2-75 x 1-97, (7) 2-74 x 1-96, (8) 2-7 x 1-96. 



Observations. — As the fine Rajah Shieldrake inhabits the northern 

 half of AustraUa, so the splendid Chestuut-colom-ed Shieldrake, or more 

 commonly called Mountain Duck, belongs to the southern part, including 

 Tasmania. The Moimtain Duck is about 27 inches in total length. Tlie 

 sexes may be distinguished by the smaller size of the female, and Iter 

 markings not being so pronounced. Their food consists of small fish, 

 Crustacea, molluscs and such like, found in swamps, (tc. 



The largest flock of Mountain Ducks I have seen contained about 

 forty birds, which were floating upon a remarkable salt lake in the 

 centre of Rottnest Island, West Australia. I approached near enooigh 

 to discern the shining dark-gi'een heads and necks of some of the birds. 

 The shooting season had not yet opened, which probably accounted for 

 the tamtuess of the birds. When the flock took flight for the far margin 

 of the lake, their pure white wing-coverts showed most conspicuously. 



In Gould's day, Moiuitain Ducks used to breed annually on the 

 alluvial flats at Gawler, Soiith Australia, depositing their eggs in tlie 

 spouts of trees. In some parts of that State, I am told, the birds arrive 

 about August, and, after breeding, the old birds leave about November, 

 the young ones following at the end of summer or about Mairh. On 

 account of this nomadic instinct tliey are diflicnlt to retain as pets. 

 Strange (the collector) informed Gould that a nest is fonued of the 

 down plucked by the bird from its own breast, and that he had taken 

 thirteen eggs from a single nest. An old Duck-sliootcr tells me 



