1837.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 397 



-Nettion crecca (Lix.). 



A female, collected by Mr. Xislii. 



Dendrocygna javanica (Horsf.). 



The Lesser Whistling Teal which Mr. Fryer's collectors brought from 

 Liu Kiu proper has also been collected on Yayeyama Island by Mr. Nishi, 

 and an apparently young bird is now before me. 



As this bird is not described in any work bearing on Japanese orni- 

 thology, and as its synonymy until quite recently has been very con- 

 fused, a fuller treatment of this bird may be acceptable. 



The present species may at once be distinguished from all other Jap- 

 anese ducks by the peculiar shape of the first primary, which in its 

 inner web is provided with a tooth-like prominence shaped like the dor- 

 sal fin of a whale (see pi. xxii, fig. 1); the next two feathers have 

 also a very jironounced notch in the inner web. 



This species is most commonly known as D. arcuata, but from Hume's 

 j-emarks (Stray Feath., VI, p. 480, and especially foot-note on p. 487) it 

 is evident that this name properly belongs to the larger species with 

 black lunules on breast and neck, and with bufly upper tail-coverts, a 

 species usually known as .Z>. vagans Fraser. 



The synonymy of the present species will stand as follows : 

 1821.— Anas javanica Horsfield, Trans. Liun. Soc, xiii (p. ^OO).— Dendrocygna j. 



Hume, Stray Feath., VI, p. 485(1878) (N. B.!).— Seebohm, Ibi.s, 1887, p. 



181.— Stejnegek, Zeitschr. Ges. Orn., 1887, p. — . 

 1832. — Mareca aivsuree Sykes, P. Z. S., I832,p. 168. — Dendroqigna a. Jekdon, B. lud., 



iii, p. 789 (lb64). 

 1849. — Dendrocygna arcuata Blyth, Cat. B. E. lud. Miis., p. — , (et plurimorum auc- 



tornm, uec HoRSF., 1824, qnaj D. vagans Auct.)— Id., Ibis, 1867, p. 175. — 



Sclater, p. Z. S., 1864, p. 300.— Schlegel, Mus. P. Bas, Anseres, p. 89 



(1866. ) 

 1856. — Dendrocygna arcuata h.mlnor Bonaparte, Compt. Reud., XLiii, p. G49. 



Description. — {ToTcio Educational Museum. Yayeyama Island). J. 

 Nishi coll.). — Top of head dark grayish brown, the feathers edged with 

 burnt umber; chin and upper throat whitish; an umber brown streak 

 down the middle of the hind neck ; rest of head and neck, as well 

 as all the under parts, drab, more or less washed with ochraceous, ex- 

 cept under tail coverts, which are whitish ; scapulars and interscapi- 

 lium (of the old plumage) dark hair-brown, margined with pale raw 

 umber, the new feathers being more slate-colored, margined with pale 

 ochraceous-rufous ; back and rump slate-color, the edges of the feathers 

 slightly pale, and on the rump inclining to ochraceous; upper tailcov- 

 erts and the small upi)er wing-coverts of a light maroon chestnut ; mid- 

 dle and greater upper wing-coverts like the scapulars but more slaty; 

 secondaries blackish slate; primaries slate black ; axillaiies and under 

 wing-coverts black ; tail-feathers dark grayish-brown washed with 

 ochraceous towards the tip. Bill and feet blackish. 



Dimensions.— Wing, 174™'^; tail feathers (much worn), 50"""; ex- 

 posed culmeu, SO""'^; tarsus, 46™'"; middle toe, with claw, 64"'". 



