88 ANATIN,*:. 



eighteen inches in widtli by five inches in height. The nest of the Pink-eared Duck is elhptical 

 in form, and is composed entirely of dark slaty-grey down plucked from the breast of the parent 

 bird, and measures twelve inches in width by five inches in height. To another Pink-eared 

 Duck's nest Mr. Bennett attached the following note: — "Taken at ^'andembah 26th August, 

 l8Sg. Tiie nest was placed on an old disused nest of Jnbviiy.x I'cntraUi, built in the lower dead 

 horis;ontaI stems of a Polygonum bush, about a foot above the water, and was screened from view 

 in a great measure by the overhanging green top of the bush. The eggs were placed as now in 

 the nest, and were completely covered by the down." Both of these nests are here reproduced. 

 The eggs are usually six to eight in number for a sitting, oval in form, of a pale creamy or 

 yellowish-white, the shell being close-grained, smooth and lustrous. Seven eggs of a set of 

 eight, heavily incubated, taken on the i6th August, rSSy, by the late Mr. K. H. Bennett on 

 Yandembah Station, in tlie Lower Lachlan District, New South Wales, measures: — Length 

 (A) 1-93 X 1-39 inches; (B) 1-94 x 1-42 inches; (C) 1-94 x i-3.s inches; (L)) 1-96 x 1-39 

 inches; (¥.) 1-95 x i-37mches; (F) 1-93 x 1-35 inches; (G) f94 x 1-36 inches. A set of six 

 eggs taken in the same locality, on the 26th August, 1889, measures: — Length (\) 2 x 1-43 

 inches; (B) 1-97 x i'47inches; (C) 2-02 x 1-43 inches; (!>) i\jS x 1-47 inches; (E) 1-96 x 

 1-46 inches; (F) rgh x 1-42 inches. 



Semi-adult birds resemble the adults, but may be distinguished by the o\al spot on the side 

 of the head being smaller, and the line extending behind the eye on to the occiput and down the 

 back of the neck- not so well defined, these parts also being brown, and the rose-pink spot behind 

 the eye is smaller ; the centre of the lower back is dark brown, transversely barred with paler 

 brown ; on the under parts there is a larger extent of white on the breast and abdomen, and the 

 transverse blacl;ish-brown barrings are everywhere narrower and paler. W ing Cyg inches. 



In South-eastern Australia August and the four following months constitute the usual 

 breeding season of the Pink-eared Duck, nests with fresh eggs being first found about the middle 

 of August. The season, however, is greatly inlluenced by the rainfall. In 1889, an abnormally 

 wet year in Southern New South Wales, following a long period of drought, Mr. K. II. Bennett 

 took six eggs from a nest on the 30th July, and an incomplete set of four as late as the 2nd 

 November. In South Australia Dr. A. Chenery found several nests containing fresh eggs on 

 the 24th April, ii;oi. 



Stictonetta naevosa. 



FRECKLED DUCK. 



Ancs luivosa, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1840, p. 177 ; i-/ , Bds, Austr, fol. Vol. VII, , pi. 10(1848). 



Stictiiiielta iKti-osa, Gould, Handhk. Bds. Austr., Vol. II., p. 367 (ISti.")); ISalvad., Cat. Hd.s. Brit. 

 Rlus., Vol. XXVII., p. 324 (1805); Sliarpf, Hand-I. Bds., Vol. L, p. -221 (lSi»;)). 



Adult m.-^le. — O'etieral colour abore and below dark hroivn, minutely freckled atnl spotted ivith 

 irrei/7ilar oblon;/ bars of mhiir or buff] llie latter colotir preiluiu'niatiny on ilo' upper parts : primaries 

 broirn, reitiaimh r of l/ie triiig aiid thr laiffentlirrs like the back : centre of the breast and abdomen 

 dull white, irrej/njarli/ freckled or marked iiHtli. broicn : '' bill olire-black, the nail black ; legs and feel 

 greenish-clay colour, darkest on tlie mebs, iiai's black" {lio\den). Total length 19 indies, tving 9, 

 tail oSi), bill ..'■4.',, tarsus J\S\ 



Adult fkm.\le. — Similar in plumage to the nude. 



Distribution. — North-western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Mctoria, South 

 Australia, \\'estern Australia, Tasmania. 



