NATATORES. 361 



webs, and tips of the outer webs of the secondaries white ; 

 band across the breast and upper part of the back rich deep 

 chestnut, which colour gradually passes into the deep dull 

 black of the scapularies, tertiaries, back, rump, and tail; 

 feathers of the centre of the back finely freckled with chestnut ; 

 outer edges of tertiaries rich reddish chestnut ; wing-coverts 

 crossed near the tip of each feather with a narrow irregular 

 line of black ; specvilum, or base of the outer webs of the 

 secondaries, rich, shining, bronzy green, between which and 

 the white tip is a broad line of dull black ; primaries and 

 spurious wing black ; lower part of the flanks and under 

 tail-coverts dull black, freckled with white ; irides yellowish 

 white; bill and legs reddish flesh-colour, with, in some 

 great specimens, a bluish tinge. 



Genus CASARCA, Bonaparte. 



The species of this section of the Anatidce are not very 

 numerous ; one or two inhabit New Zealand and one Aus- 

 tralia, which latter represents the C. rutila of Europe. 



Sp. 584. CASARCA TADORNOIDES. 



Chestnut-coloured Shieldrake. 



New Holland Shieldrake, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. x. p. 306. 

 Anas tadorno'ides, Jard. and Selb. 111. Orn., vol. ii. pi. 62. 

 Casarca tadorno'ides, Eyton, Mon. of the Anat., p. 171. 

 Goo-ra-ga, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. 

 Mountain Duck, Colonists of Swan River. 



Casarca tadomoides, Gould; Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii. pi. 7. 



This fine Shieldrake is universally spread over all such 

 parts of Tasmania, South and Western Australia, as present 

 localities suitable to its habits, but is nowhere very plentiful. 

 During my residence in Tasmania I saw several fresh speci- 

 mens that had been shot on the lakes of the interior of the 



