NATATORES. 369 



Swan River all come within the range of its habitat, but it is 

 much more rare in Western Australia than in any other of 

 the countries I have enumerated. Freshwater rivers, creeks, 

 marshes, lakes, and pools both near the coast and in the 

 interior of the country are the situations in which the Au- 

 stralian Shoveller is to be found. I frequently met with it 

 in company w4th other common ducks of the country, all 

 united in one flock. It feeds on aquatic plants, shelled 

 mollusks, and water insects. Its flesh as an article of food is 

 little if at all inferior to that of the Australian Wild Duck 

 {Anas superciliosd) ; consequently it is frequently shot and 

 eaten by the settlers. Like most of its tribe it assumes a 

 richer dress at one season than at another, that of the spring 

 or pairing-time being much the finest; at other times the 

 male is so much like the female, which undergoes no change 

 of plumage, as scarcely to be distinguishable from her. 



I did not succeed in finding the breeding-places of this 

 species, consequently I am unable to give any account of its 

 incubation, nest, or eggs. 



The male has the crown of the head and the space surround- 

 ing the base of the bill brownish black ; on either side of the 

 face between the bill and the eye a broad lunar-shaped line of 

 white, bounded posteriorly by speckles of black; head and 

 neck grey, with greenish reflexions ; all the under surface 

 very dark chestnut-brown, each feather with a broad crescent- 

 shaped mark of black at the tip, which is very conspicuous 

 on the breast; flanks rich chestnut, each feather crossed by 

 several broad crescentic bands of black; back brownish 

 black, the feathers of the upper part margined with greyish 

 brown ; lesser wing-coverts and outer webs of the scapularies 

 blue-grey, the inner webs of the latter black, with a distinct 

 line of white in the direction of and next to the shaft ; greater 

 wing-coverts black, largely tipped with white ; outer webs of 

 the secondaries rich deep glossy green ; primaries very dark 

 brown with lighter shafts ; under surface of the wing white ; 



VOL. ir. 2 B 



