70 ANATIN.E. 



Mr. Kubinson, wntinj,' ine from lUickiinijuy Stntion, New South Wales, on the 15th xMay, 

 iSg?, reiiiarl^ed ; — " Xo waterfowl will we have breeding,' here this season in consequence of the 

 severe drouL^lit. All the reed-beds are dry and eaten, or burnt off to destroy the wild pigs and 

 the water rats. These animals kill more game than all the guns this side of the Blue 

 Mountanis." 



In New Soutli Wales September and the three followin,f,' months constitute the breeding 

 season. In the Northern Territory of South Australia it begins in the rainy season in February 

 and continues until the end of May or middle of June. 



Casarca tadornoides. 



SHELDRAKE. 

 Anas tadornoith's, Jard. and Selliy, III. 'Jrn., Vol. II., pi. Ixii. (1828). 

 Cnsarca tadornoides, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. VII., pi. 7 (1S48) ; if/., Handbk. Bd.s. Austr., 



Vol.11., p. 361 (186.^); Salvad., Oat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. XXVIl., p. 1S.5 (18',).")); 



Sharpe, Hand-1. Bds., Vol. I., p. 21", (1899). 

 Addi.T M.\LE (in lirpcding pluiiiagf). — /lark and scu/iidiirs black, freckled leith fnl niuti iinrruiv and 

 broken /rnitsrerse liarrnujs : upper nniiy-corerts wJii/e : /iriinnries black : imlir irebs of tlie secondaries 

 glossij-greeti, llieir iiiiirr ui-bs black ; te.rliaries ric/i c/ies/mit, greijish on the i^tiier icebs and tips : upper 

 and niider tail-corerts and tail-featliers black, glossed nntlt green, wltich is mure distinct on their 

 inargins : liead (i nil nppier part oj iieck dark glossipgreen ; Unrer portion oj neck, nptjier buck and 

 breast chestnut, separated in the middle 0/ the neck b// a ring of ichite feathers . Inner portion of the 

 breast, abdomen attd/lntiks black, Jinel)/ freckled like the lou-er back and scnpnlurs ti'ifh fnlrons or 

 vhity-bron^n : " irides brinrn ; bill black ; leg^ greyish-black" {Gou]d). Total length JI) inches, iving 

 lJp7, tail 0, bill :.' Id, tarsus 2-S. 



Adult fkmale — " The sexes mag be distinguished by the smaller size of the female, as u-ell as 

 by the ivhole of her markings being less pure, and by the ring of ivhite or tuotlled featfiers wfiic/i 

 snrriinnil tlie base of the bill " (Gould). 



l)ishibiilioii. — North-western .Australia, New South Wales, \'ictoria. South Australia, 

 Western Australia, Tasmania. 



/~|^ HE stronghold of the Sheldrake or "Mountain Duck ' is the southern portion of the 

 -L Australian Continent and Tasiuania. It is probably commonest in parts of Western 

 N'ictoria, also near the Murray Kiver, in Riverina. In New South Wales it is more frequently 

 seen in the mountainous districts in the south-eastern portion of the State, and in some seasons 

 is numerous at Lake George and Lake Bathurst. I have never heard of its occurrence in 

 the northern portion of the State. Gould received it from South .Australia and Tasmania, 

 Mr. G. A. Keartland, while a member of the Calvert E.xploring Expedition, met with it near 

 Lake Way, in Western Australia, and later on near the Fitzroy Kiver, in North-western 

 Australia, where, however, it appears to be extremely rare. 



Having never luet with this species in a state of nature, nor had an opportunity of ascertaining 

 the sex of the female by dissection, I have transcribed Gould's description of the latter. There 

 is, however, a mounted specimen in the .Australian Museum Collection which agrees fairly well 

 with Gould's description, which in addition to the ring of white feathers around the base of the 

 bill has similar well defined white rings around the eyes: this, however, may be due to 

 immaturity. 



