363 BIRDS OP AUSTRALIA. 



island, and ascertained that it had formerly resorted to the 

 rivers, heads of the bays, and inlets of the sea near Hobart 

 Town. In South Australia it breeds annually at Gawler, on 

 all the alluvial flats that abound in that district : it is also 

 said to deposit its eggs in the hollow spouts and boles of the 

 lofty gum-trees. 



Strange informed me that the nest is formed of the down 

 plucked by the bird from its own breast, that he has taken 

 thirteen eggs from a single nest, and that their colour was 

 similar to those of the Teal. It breeds early in the spring, 

 which in Australia is at an opposite period of the year to the 

 spring of the northern hemisphere. 



Its food consists of the small fish, Crustacea, moUusks, &c. 

 which abound in the flats and swampy places. I have never 

 received this species from New South Wales ; and much in- 

 formation yet remains to be obtained respecting the range, 

 etc., of this fine bird. 



The sexes may be distinguished by the smaller size of the 

 female, as well as by the whole of her markings being less 

 pure, and by the ring of white or mottled feathers which sur- 

 round the base of the bill. 



Head and upper part of the neck shining dark green ; chest, 

 lower part of the neck and upper part of the back pale chest- 

 nut or rusty red, between which colour and the green of the 

 upper part of the neck is a ring of pure white ; upper and 

 under surface black, finely freckled and waved with pale 

 chestnut ; upper and under tail-coverts and tail black, glossed 

 with green ; wing-coverts pure white ; primaries dull black ; 

 secondaries rich glossy green on their outer webs, black on the 

 inner ; tertiaries rich chestnut on their outer and grey on 

 their inner webs ; irides dark brown ; bill black ; legs greyish 



black. 



In size this species exceeds every other Australian Duck, 



and is even larger than the Mancd Goose, Chlamydoclien 



jubata. J 



