376 



TREE DUCKS 



lady of my acquaintance pos- 

 sessed a pair which she said 

 were as good as the best 

 watchdog; I also had a pair 

 which were equally as vigi- 

 lant, and very docile" (Col. 

 Grayson, quoted by Law- 

 rence, 1874). Their long legs 

 give them an odd look as 

 they wander on land or wade 

 in the water. On being sur- 

 prised, they raise their long 

 necks after the manner of 

 geese. The flight is peculiar 

 and characteristic; they fly 

 low and in a line, their large 

 wings with white bands pre- 

 senting a striking aspect and 

 giving the impression of a 

 much larger bird. 



The nests are placed in 

 holes in trees, in forks of 

 branches, or on the ground 

 among rushes, reeds, and 

 grass, often at considerable distances from water. The number of eggs 

 varies from 12 to 16, and average in size 2.06 by 1.51 inches. They are 

 white or creamy white in colour, some being glossy and finely pitted 

 and others lacking in gloss. The nesting season is very much prolonged, 

 and it is therefore possible that two broods may be raised in one season, 

 as is claimed by some authorities though not confirmed by others. While 

 the males are supposed to attend to their own affairs during the period 

 of incubation, it would seem that they sometimes assist in the nesting 

 duties, as male specimens have been shot in which the appearance of 

 the breast-feathers indicated that they had been sitting on eggs. 



Fulvous Tree Duck 



Dendrocygna bicolor helva 

 (den-dro-sig-na, bi-co-lor, hl-va) 



Colour Plate No. 31. Downy Young No. 35. 



SCIENTIFIC NAME 



Dendrocygna, from Greek, dendron, meaning a tree, and cygnus, Latin, meaning 

 a swan; bicolor, Latin, meaning of two colours; helva, from Latin, helvus, meaning 

 of the colour of honey. 



COLLOQUIAL NAMES 



IN GENERAL USE: Long-legged duck. IN LOCAL USE: Cornfield duck; Mexican 



