358 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



to seek for the nest, whicli he found built up in the long grass 

 about a foot above the water, the . bottom of the nest resting 

 on its surface ; it was composed of long dried grasses, slightly 

 hollowed for the reception of the eggs : the nest in this in- 

 stance was destitute of any kind of lining ; but one afterwards 

 brought him by the natives was interiorly constructed with 

 feathers and contained six eggs, which are white, one inch and 

 seven-eighths long by one inch and three-eighths broad. 



Mr. Gregory informs me that during his expedition " this 

 elegantly symmetrical waterfowl was only found on the Sher- 

 lock river. It is remarkable for its tameness and for its light 

 and sportive movements on the water. It was seen in flights 

 of eight or ten together.'* 



The male has the head brownish green, indistinctly barred 

 with light brown ; beneath the eye an oval spot of white ; 

 neck, back and wings deep glossy green ; primaries black ; 

 outer webs of the secondaries snow-white ; feathers of the 

 chest, sides and back of the neck white, with a number of 

 greenish-black circles one within the other, so numerous that 

 the white is nearly lost ; flanks similarly marked, but in them 

 the circles, bars, and pencillings are broader and more apparent; 

 tail black glossed with green ; abdomen white ; under tail- 

 coverts black ; irides dark brown ; bill dark greenish grey ; 

 legs and feet blackish brown, with a yellowish-white nail ; 

 under mandible greenish grey, irregularly blotched with a 

 lighter colour. 



The female resembles the male, but differs in having the 

 crown, occiput and a stripe down the back of the neck deep 

 brown ; in being destitute of the white spot beneath the eye ; 

 in having the chin and upper part of the throat white, mottled 

 with small markings of brown ; bill French grey, becoming 

 more yellow at the base ; lower mandible bluish grey ; tarsi 

 fleshy white on the sides, back and front blackish brown ; feet 

 dark brown. 



Total length 12J inches ; bill 1| ; wing 6^; tail 3 ; tarsi 1. 



