28 MORSE, ninis of the Morcc District. Fisffu™" 



Notcphoyx pacifica. White-necked Heron. — Very numerous. I 

 know of one very larj^e heronry that I have vi.sited on several oc- 

 casions, where some hundreds of birds breed annually. 



Nycticorax caledonicus. Nankeen Nijrht-Heron. — Very numerous. 

 Several larfje heronies exist, where the birds breed in preat numbers. 



Dupetor flavicollis. Yellow-necked Mangrove-Bittern. — I once saw a 

 sing'le specimen of this species fly from some tree roots overhanging 

 the water; the action of flight caused such a commotion among the 

 small birds, many of which gave chase, that I conclude the bird was 

 quite foreign to them. 



Butaurus poiciloptilu.s. Australian Bittern. — When camped at one 

 of our favourite spots near the sags, the boom of the Bitterns could 

 be heard from all auarters in the direction of the swamp, but, try as 

 we would, we could not flush a single bird, and, in my many rambles 

 in this quarter, I have seen only one. 



Chcncpis atrala. Black Swan. — Numerous. Breeding from July till 

 Septembei-. 



Anseranas semipalmata. Pied Goose. — Not numerous; breeds in the 

 densest parts of the sags during August and September. 



Chenonetta jubata. Maned Goose. — Numerous; usual breeding 

 months July and August. 



Dendrocygna javanica. Whistling Duck. — At times very plentiful. 

 This bird is known locally as the "red whistler" — a good doscriptive 

 name, which can be more appreciated when the two species are seen 

 together. 



Dendrccygna eytoni. Plumed Whistling Duck.^ — Very numerous in 

 spring and summer. Nests are often found out on the plains a mile 

 or two miles from water. Usually breeds in October, but I have just 

 heard of a nest of seventeen eggs found in January. 



Anas superciliosa. Grey (Black) Duck. — Very numerous; in favour- 

 able seasons breeds for nine months out of the twelve, either in trees 

 or en the ground, sometimes fully a mile from water. 



Virago gibberifrons. Grey Teal. — The most numerous of all the 

 family. I have never found a nest anywhere but in hollow spouts. 

 They breed for fully nine months, and lay a:> many as seventeen eggs, 

 twelve to fifteen being a common occurrence. 



Virago castanea. Chestnut-breasted Teal.— An occasional visitor in 

 small numbers. 



Spatula rhynchotis. Blue-winged Shoveller. — Never in large flocks, 

 but thinly distributed all over the district. Nests close to the swamps 

 in long grass or herbage. 



Malacorhynchus membranaceus. Pink-eared Duck. — On occasions 

 large florks of these are to be found. They favour the quiet back- 

 waters and lagoons, where they nest in all sorts of places; shallow 

 hollows, tops of stumps and forked limbs are equally favoured. The 

 eggs are always enveloped in down. Plight eggs seem to be the maxi- 

 mum clutih. 



Stictonetta naevosa. Freckled Duck. — An occasional visitor. At a 

 battue in aid of the Red Cross which I attended, two of these birds 

 were bagged, and among the twelve shooters present (all old residents 

 of the district) one only had seen the Ducks before. On our last trip 

 to the Glossy Ibis rookery (February IDth, i;»22), we saw a flock of 

 about 20 of these and secured four specimens, one of which was un- 

 doubtedly an immature bird. 



