DENDROCYCNA FULVA 116 



(20) DENDROCYCNA FULVA. 

 THE GEEATER WHISTLING-TEAL. 



Dendrocygna major, Jerdon, B. of I. iii, p. 790: Hume, Xcnts mid Ego^, 



p. 640 : /(/. S. F. iii, p. 193. 

 Dendrocygna fulva, Hume d- Davis, S. F. vi, p. 488; Humi', ibid, vii, 



p. 463; viii, p. 115; Legqo, B. of C. p. 1069; Hume if Marsh. 



Game-B. iii, p. 119; Hume, Cat. No. 953 ; Parker, S. F. ix, p. 487 ; 



Oates, ibid, x, p. 245 ; id. B. of B. B. ii, p. 274 ; Barnes, B. of Bom. 



p. 399 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs (Gates' ed.), iii, p. 286. 

 Dendrocycna fulva, Salradori, Cat. B. M. .xxvii, p. 149 ; Blanford, Avi- 

 fauna B. I. iv, p. 432; Stuart Baker, J. B. N. H. S. xi, p. 556; (V?. 



Indian Ducks, p, 93 (1908). 



Description. Adult. — " Head, neck, and lower parts deep reddish-ochra- 

 ceous, passing into cinnamon on the flanks, where the longer feathers have 

 a hroad mesial stripe of pale ochraceous, bordered by dusky ; crown fer- 

 ruginous, nape with a distinct brown-black stripe, commencing at the 

 occiput; middle of the neck whitish, minutely streaked with dusky on the 

 edges of the feathers ; prevailing colour above brownish-black, the dorsal 

 and scapular feathers broadly edged v/ith cinnamon colour, giving a barred 

 appearance ; lesser wing-coverts chestnut ; upper and under tail-coverts bufl'y 

 white ; quills and tail dark brown." {Salvadori.) 



Colours of soft parts. — The bill varies from dusky-black, black on the 

 terminal third and slaty at the base, to dusky throughout, merely tipped 

 black, and much shaded with bluish lead-colour at base and basal half. In 

 the same way the legs and feet vary from quite pale dusky plumbeous, more or 

 less of a blue tint, to almost black. According to Merrill, the legs are bright 

 slaty-blue, but personally I have seen no Indian birds with brightly-tinged 

 legs. Claws black ; irides are light to dark brown. 



Measurements. — "Length 18 to 20 inches, wing 8'10 to 8'90, tail 2'2, 

 culmen 1'66 to 1'95, tarsus 2"10 to 2"4, middle toe 2'30 to2'8." {Salvadori.) 



Jerdon gives the length as 21 inches and wing 94. The largest I have 

 seen had the wing 9'20 inches, which is practically the same. 



The Female only differs from the male in being slightly smaller ; length 

 17 to 19 inches, wing 7"85 to 8'25. The female obtained by Captain Shelley 

 from Nyasaland measured, wing 9'1 inches, tarsus 2'1, and culmen 2'2. 

 This gives a larger bird, with proportionately even larger bill, than any 

 Indian bird which I have seen or of which I can find the measurements. 

 Three other birds have been obtained in Nyasaland. 



