CHKNO.VETTA. 65 



several families. At Wamhiana Station, on the Macqiiarie River, my brother and self saw a 

 pair of old birds with over fifty youn;,' ; we tried to count them, but could not, but were sure 

 there were over fifty, and we could easily distinguish four different clutches, probably more. 

 They prefer a dead tree to nest in, but are often found nesting in living Red Gums. As a rule 

 they go a little distance away from the water for nesting purposes, and not in a tree overhanging 

 water, such as other species of Uucks prefer. I found one sitting upon eight eggs in a dead 

 Ilox-tree near Narromine, (|uite two miles from the nearest water; many people might think the 

 young from a nest so situated would never live to reach water, but my own opinion is they 

 do, and very quickly; young Ducks, even though only just out of the nest, are wonderfully 

 active on their legs, and are most difficult to catch, either upon dry land or in water." 



From Copmanluirst, New South Wales, Mr. (leorge Savidge writes me as follows: — 

 "The Maned tioose {Chhintydoclh-ii jtibata ) is fairly well distributed in this district, especially on 

 the upper reaches of the Clarence River. It shows a decided preference to chains of waterholes 

 and small creeks not too heavily timbered, and feeds a good deal out of the water, eating the 

 grass and herbage on the river and creek banks, sometimes on flats some distance from water. 

 It breeds in a spout or hole of a dead tree, some distance from water, and lays nine or ten eggs 

 fur a sitting." 



Mr. Percy Peir writes from Marrickville, near Sydney: — "Early in November, 1907, whilst 

 in the Mudgee District, we noticed se\eral pairs of Wood Ducks (Cliciwuctta /iilmtii) with 

 young. One Duck, with about seven or eii;ht young, remained flat on the ground until we 

 were almost upon them, when she beat her wings amongst and scattered them in all directions. 

 Out of tills brood two were captured, and afterwards successfully reared under a Muscovy 

 Duck, who covered them along with her own family. This pair turned out to be drake and 

 duck', and mixed up with the general poultry until the following spring, when, not being 

 pinioned, they took to wing never to return." 



Mr. G. A. Keartland writes me as follows from Melbourne, \'ictoria: — "The Maned 

 Goose or 'Wood Duck' is found in most parts of .Australia in which fresh water exists. 

 Although found in flocks at times, these birds are more often seen in pairs. At Melton, 

 \'ictoria, they breed in the hollow Box timber, and along the Murray and Murrumliidgee 

 Rivers, in Riverina, they may be seen leaving their nests or leading their bro'ds of ducklings 

 in the water. I have seen young ones unable to fly, in the Northern Territory of South 

 Australia, in May, but in Western .\ustralia young ones in the down may be found any 

 time between May and February. The Maned Goose is in request as a game bird, owing 

 to the delicacy of its flesh. If captured young they make great pets, and soon learn to answer 

 the call at feeding time like domestic poultry." 



riie eggs are usually nine to eleven in number for a sitting, oval, elongated-oval or elliptical 

 in form, varying in colour from a cream to a creamy-white, the shell being close-grained, smooth 

 and lustrous. A set of nine in the .-Vustralian Museum Collection, rather above the average 

 measurement, taken by Mr. Edward Lord Ramsay at Wattagoona Station, Western New South 

 Wales, in August, 1889, measures : — Length (.\) 2-24 x 1-73 Indies; (P>) 2-45 x 1-73 inches; 

 (C) 2-43 X 1-73 inches; (D) 2-25 x 1-7 inches; (E) 2-43 x 172 inches; (F) 2-22 x 173 

 inches; (G) 2-23 x 17 inches; (II) 2-27 x i'57 inches; (1) 2-27 x 173 inches. A set of ten 

 eggs in ]\Ir. Thos. P. ,\ustin's collection, taken for him by Mr. George Patterson at Bonny 

 Plains, about eight miles up the Talbragar River from Cobborah Station, the nesting place being 

 in a hollow in a Red Gum-tree, about twelve feet from the ground, measures as follows: — 

 Len,i;tli (A) 2-2 x 1-58 inches; (B) 2-2 x i-h inches; (C) 2-12 x 1-58 inches; (D) 2-22 x 1-56 

 inches; (1-2) 2-18 x i-6 inches; (F) 2-19 x 1-58 inches; (G) 2-17 x 1-58 inches; (H) 2-18 x 

 1-5 inches; (I) 2-09 x i'56 inches; (J) 2-13 x 1-57 inches. .A set of eight eggs on the point of 

 hatching, taken by Mr. .Austin on the iitli September, 1909, from a hole in a dead Red Gum- 



