NATATORES. 377 



crossed by a band of buff; primaries and secondaries deep 

 sandy red ; tertiaries dark brown ; across the upper part of 

 the abdomen a broad band of purplish sandy red, each feather 

 crossed by several narrow bands of black ; feathers imme- 

 diately before and beneath the insertion of the wing chestnut- 

 red, crossed by several broad bars of black ; flank-feathers 

 buff, broadly and distinctly margined with black ; lower part 

 of the abdomen and under tail-coverts buffy white ; feet flesh- 

 colour ; irides dark orange. 



Genus NYROCA, Fleming. 



The members of this genus are true diving Ducks, and 

 obtain much of their food from the muddy bottoms of lakes 

 and estuaries. 



Sp. 593. NYROCA AUSTRALIS, Gould. 



White-eyed Duck. 



Nyroca australis, Gould, MSS. Eyton, Mon. of Anat., p. 160. 

 Er-roo-doo , Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. 

 Bud-bun-bun-loot, Aborigines of Port Essington. 

 White-winged Duck of the Colonists. 



Nyroca australis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii. pi. 16. 



This bii'd is frequently seen on the rivers in Tasmania, 

 where I am certain that it breeds, the eggs in my own 

 collection having been taken on the banks of the Derwent ; 

 T also shot many individuals on the Upper Hunter in the 

 autumn of 1839, and, from what I could learn from persons 

 resident there, it visits those parts of New South Wales 

 when the lagoons are filled with water and food consequently 

 abundant. The flats between Aberdeen and Scone were 

 tenanted by hundreds of these birds, in company with 

 the Pink-eyed Ducks and Shovellers. I have also a fine 

 example kiUed by the late Commander Ince, R.N., near the 



