BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 225 



tidal rivers, and therefore often falls a victim to the fowler's gun. 

 When on the wing it moves with great rapidity, the noise made by 

 its wings being very pronounced. 



PINK-EAKED DUCK 



(Malacorhynchus membranaceus, Lath.) 



Male. Crown greyish-brown; sides of the head and chin 

 whitish; a patch on the sides of the head and a line from either 

 eye, uniting at the occiput and passing down the back of the neck, 

 blackish-brown ; a patch of rose-pink, oblong in shape, immediately 

 behind the dark patch surrounding the eye; back, scapulars, and 

 upper wing coverts greyish-brown, minutely freckled with whitish 

 points ; rump and upper tail coverts dark brown ; the latter with a 

 dark band at the base ; tail brown, minutely tipped with white ; 

 the secondaries with a terminal band of white; primaries dark 

 brown, the inner ones tipped with white; neck, breast, and under 

 surface greyish-white, thickly barred with brown, narrow on the 

 neck, broader on the breast and flanks, almost disappearing in the 

 centre of the abdomen ; under tail coverts buffy- white ; ' ' irides 

 dark reddish-brown; bill varies from greenish-grey to bluish-olive; 

 tip of the lower mandible white; tarsi and toes emerald -green in 

 some specimens and yellowish-brown in others ; webs dark brown 

 (Gould). Dimensions in mm. : Length, 429; bill, 68; wing, 185; 

 tail, 66; tarsus, 32. 



Female. Plumage similar; dimensions slightly less. 



Nest. The deserted nest of some bird such as the Raven or 

 Heron is frequently appropriated and thickly lined with down. 



Eggs. Clutch seven to nine, oval in shape; texture fine; sur- 

 face glossy ; colour creamy- white. Dimensions in mm. of odd 

 examples : (1) 45 x 32, (2) 47 x 33, (3) 46 x 32, (4) 47 x 32.5. 



Breeding Season. August to November. 



Geographical Distribution. Tasmania and the whole of Aus- 

 tralia. 



Observations. Shooting begins 1st February, ends 30th June. 

 The Pink-eared Duck, which on the mainland is known to shooters 

 and dealers by the name of Widgeon, is somewhat scarce in Tas- 

 mania. I can obtain but few records of specimens having been 

 secured within the past few years. To my knowledge individuals 

 have been secured in the Longford district, the Lakes district, 

 Lakes Sorell and Crescent, the vicinity of Noland Bay ; and it has 

 been seen as a very rare visitor on both the Tamar and Derwent 

 Rivers. 



FRECKLED DUCK 

 (Stictonetta ncevosa, Gould). 



Male. Whole of the upper surface, wings, and throat blackish- 

 brown; crown of the head almost black, minutely freckled and 



16 



