62 SINGULAR BIRD. 



sight appeared to be a teal. It went in small 

 flocks, and as it got on the wing made a long shrill 

 plaintive kind of note. The deep glossy rifle green 

 colour of their back, and the transparent streak of 

 white of the wing, gave them a most beautiful ap- 

 pearance, as the sun's rays lit up their rich plumage 

 in their circuitous flight round the boat. Their 

 number did not exceed twenty, and they too were 

 only seen on this part of the river. They were also 

 very wary, which is singular in the inhabitants of 

 a wilderness, almost totally unfrequented by man. 

 We only got one specimen, by which we found that it 

 had the head and bill of a goose. It was indeed 

 quite a goose in miniature. Although we never 

 before or afterwards met with this bird, it was seen 

 at Port Essington, though of inferior plumage, 

 some time in 1840, and a specimen was obtained, 

 from which Mr. Gould has named it Nettapus 

 pulchellas. The vvhistling duck of the Adelaide 

 River, was also only seen on this part of the Vic- 

 toria. . 



After proceeding north-east one mile and a half, 

 and east two miles, we came to a pretty little islet 

 covered with palms and acacias, and rich long 

 grass. Numbers of large white water-lilies grew 

 on its banks. The river was now only an eighth 

 of a mile wide, and two fathoms deep. This still 

 promised well. Scarcely, however, had we indulged 

 in the hope that the Victoria might yet convey the 

 boats many miles into the interior, when a shoal 



