374 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Genus DENDROCYGNA, Swai?iso9i. 



This form is found in India, Africa, America, and Austra- 

 lia ; the bird I have separated into a distinct genus under the 

 appellation of Zeptotarsis should be included in the genus, 

 the difference which it presents being too slight to warrant 

 its division therefrom. 



Sp. 591. DENDROCYGNA GOULDI, Bonaparte. 

 Whistling Tree-Duck. 



Anas arcuata, Cuv., Horsf. Zool. Research, in Java. 

 Dendrocygna arcuata, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 365. 



, var. Gouldi, Bonap. Compt. Rend, de PAcad. Sci., torn. 



xliii., seances des 15 et 22 Sept. 1856. 

 En-jl^'p- ere. Aborigines of Port Essingtou. 

 Whistling Duck of the Colonists. 



Dendrocygna arcuata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii. 

 pi. 14. 



I possess specimens of this fine Duck from Moreton Bay 

 and from various parts of the north coast, on comparing which 

 with others procured in Java I find that they are larger, and 

 that they have the throat and fore-part of the neck of a less 

 deeply tinted buflP. These and other minor differences induced 

 the late Prince Charles L. Bonaparte to give the Australian 

 bird a new specific appellation, that of gouldi. I believe the 

 Prince was right in considering it distinct from I), arcuata, 

 and it would therefore be ungraceful in me not to accept the 

 compliment from my distinguished coadjutor. 



During the months of September, October, November, and 

 December the Whistling Duck assembles in vast flocks on the 

 lakes around the settlement at Port Essington : the lagoons 

 and water at that season of the year are so shallow, that this 

 and many other species of the Duck tribe are enabled to 

 wade among the herbage and procure an abundant supply of 



