NATATOHES. . 367 



Genus STICTONETTA, Reichenhach. 



A very singular form, nearly allied to Chaidelasvius. The 

 only species of the genus is a very rare bird, and has only yet 

 been seen on the western and southern coasts of Australia ; 

 it probably inhabits the distant interior. Reichenbach has 

 assigned it the above generic title, which I have much 

 pleasure in adopting. 



Sp. 587. STICTONETTA N^VOSA, Gould. 



-J 

 Freckled Duck. 



Anas ncBvosa, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part viii. p. 177. 

 Sticionetta navosa, Bonap. Compt. Rend, de I'Acad. Sci., torn, xliii. 



seances des 15 et 22 Sept. 1856. 

 Freckled Duck, Colonists of Western Australia. 



Anas nsevosa, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. vii. pi. 10. 



Two specimens of this rare Duck are all that had come 

 under my notice when my folio edition was completed ; several 

 other examples have since been sent to Europe, all of which 

 bore a general similitude. The native habitat of the species 

 are the western and southern parts of Australia. A further 

 knowledge of this bird would be highly interesting : and it 

 would be especially desirable to know whether the plumage in 

 which I have figured it be permanent, whether, like most 

 other members of its tribe, the bird undergoes seasonal 

 changes, and also if the speculum of the wing be absent in 

 the male as well as in the female. 



The stomach is very muscular, and those examnied con- 

 tained small fish and minute shells. 



The whole of the plumage is dark brown, minutely freckled 

 and spotted with irregular oblong marks of white in the 

 direction of the feathers ; the under sm'face the same, but 

 lighter and tinged with buff ; wings without a speculum ; 



