NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 1037 



Christmas and New Year, especially in Gippslaud, while Captain 

 Doveton, a sportsnrin, told mc that when shooting on the 28th April, 

 1888, he saw young just able to fly. Mr. Isaac Batcy gives an instance 

 of Ducks breeding late in Rivcrina, where there wa.s a tremendous rain- 

 fall during the month of January. I860 or 1861. Ducks came, appar- 

 ently from the coast, commenced to breed, and young wei-c hatched in 

 April, if not sooner. Mr. Batey remarks, by the way, that this incident 

 shows how wonderful it is that the breeding time of these birds can be 

 hastened or delayed, according to circumstances, i.e., the rainfall. 

 Aprnpni: of this, Mr. R. J. Dalton informs me that after a good rainfall 

 on the Paroo. New South Wales, in February, 1898, several clutches 

 of Ducks' eggs were observed at the end of April. 



Naturally, in Tropical Australia, the rainy summer season there 

 regulates the breeding Ducks, which lay mostly during January, Fcb- 

 iiiary, and March. 



Although the fact is not established, it is probable the Black Duck 

 rears two broods diuing a season. 



Young in down are brown on the upper surface, darkest on the 

 crown of the head, and with two stripes along each cheek ; under surface 

 dirtv vcllow. 



752. — Nettion c.\staneum, Eyton. — (586) 

 Anas jntnctatn, Cuvier. 



TEAL. 



Figure. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 11. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxvii., p. 252. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Campbell : Southern Science Record 

 (1883), also Nests and Eggs Austn. Birds, pi. 3, fig. 586 (1883) ; 

 North: Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 341 (1889). 



Geographical Distrihufinn. — Australia in general and Tasmania; 

 also accidental to Java and Celebes. 



Nest. — Usually in a hollow tree, but occasionally on the ground in 

 grass or other herbage in the vicinity of water; furnished with a plen- 

 tiful supply of down. Should the nest be on the ground, fine grass is 

 sometimes intermixed with the fuscous-coloured down, each particle 

 whitish in the centre, and with light coloured tips. Apparently sUghtly 

 darker than the nest-downi of the Grey Teal. Dimensions : inside, 

 .5 inches acro.ss by 2h inches deep. 



EffffS. — Clutch, nine to ten usually, tlurteen maximum ; elliptical in 

 shape; textiu-e of shell fine; surface glossy and greasy; colour, rich 

 cream. Dimen.sions in inches of odd examples: (1) 2-04 x 1-5, 

 (2) 1-9 X 1-4,5; of four from a set: (1) 2-14 x 1-5, (2)' 2-1 x 1-49 

 (.3) 2-09 X 1-52, (4) 2-08 X 1-48. 



