NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 1033 



751. — Anas supeuciliosa, Gnielin. — (585) 

 BLACK DUCK. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, £ol., vol. vii., pi. 9. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxvii., p. 206. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs.—Go-a\d : Birds of Australia (1S4S), 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 364 {1865) ; Potts : Trans. New 

 Zealand Inst., vol. ii., p. 72 (1870) ; Buller : Birds of New 

 Zealand (1873), vol. ii., p. 256 (1888); Ramsay: Proc. Linn. 

 Soc, N.S. Wales, 2nd ser., vol. i., p. 1152 (1SS6). 



Gi<iijraphical Distributiun. — Whole of Australia and Tasmania; 

 also New Zealand, Polynesia, Timor, and Java. 



yest. — As fi-equently placed in herbage upon the gi-ouud as m a 

 hole of a tree or stump, generally near water, but often at a distance 

 from it. Occasionally the deserted nest of a Raven, &c., is used. Duuen- 

 sions of a nest or hollow upon the gi-ound, about 7 inches across by 3 to 

 4 inches deep, which is encircled more or less vsdth fine gi-ass, a few 

 feathers, and chiefly down, the down being umber or olive-brown, each 

 particle whitish in the centre and light-coloured on the tips. 



Eggs. — Clutch, ten to twelve usu;illy, fifteen maximiun ; elliptical in 

 shape ; te.Ktiu-e of shell comparatively fine ; surface glossy and gi-easy ; 

 colour, light greenish-white or light creamy-white, with a faint greenish 

 tinge. Dimensions in inches of a proper clutch : (1) 244 x 1-66, 

 (2) 2-36 X 1-65, (3) 2-33 x 1-62, (4) 2-33 x 1-62, (5) 2-32 x 1-65 

 (6) 2-32 X 1-64, (7) 2-31 x 166, (8) 2-3 x 162, (9) 2-3 x 1-62, 

 (10) 2-29 X 1-63, (11) 2-29 X 1-62, (12) 2-28 x 1-63. 



Ohxervdtunii;. —No Duck is so familiarly known to Australians as the 

 common Black or Wild Duck* It may l^e found singly, in pairs, or in 

 teeming numbers on every creek, river, lagoon, or waterhole. It 

 extends its liabitat to regions beyond Australia, notably to Austro- 

 Malayan. parts and to the islands of Polynesia, while I possess a far south 

 note from Mr. J. R. Burton of it breeding on Macquarie Island, where 

 eggs were taken duiing November last year and a duckling was caught 

 by his dog. 



To the naturalist, this Duck, with its beautiful bronze reflections on 

 the wings, is most interesting. With the sportsman and the epicure it 

 is an especial favourite. 



Who has not enjoyed flight-shooting at night when Ducks have been 

 winging their way to the upper waters of shady creeks or to lonely 

 lagoons? Many are the plea-sant reminiscences I have of night and 

 day shooting. On a sultry afternoon in Riverina, if the shooter can 

 crawl on " all fours " under the cover of timber or scrub to the margin 



' General colour, dark brown, with beautiful glossy-green on each wing ; eyes 

 and feet yellowish-brown ; bill, bluish lead-colour ; total length in inches, 24 ; wing, 

 10; tail, 4 ; bill, 2|; feet, i|. 



