226 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



spotted with irregular buffish-white marks; no speculum on the 

 wings; primaries plain brown; under surface whitish, tinged with 

 buff, especially on the chest, where the colour approaches rich 

 chestnut; under wing coverts white, more or less freckled with 

 brown; axillaries pure white; bill greenish -grey, nail black; legs 

 and feet bluish-green. Dimensions in mm.: Length, 550; bill, 

 57; wing, 232; tail, 75; tarsus, 41.5. 



Female. Similar to male. 



Nest. Among herbage on the ground. 



Eggs. Clutch nine to twelve probably; lengthened ellipse 

 in shapo ; texture of shell fairly fine ; surface greasy to the 

 touch; colour light greenish-white. Dimensions in mm. of odd 

 examples in the Launceston Museum : (1) 52.5 x 40, (2) 55 x 41. 



Breeding Season. October to December. 



Geographical Distribution. Tasmania, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South and Western Australia, and Queensland. 



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

 The Freckled Duck is an extremely rare species in Tasmania; 

 there are but few records of it having been obtained here. It is 

 occasionally seen on the Macquarie River and about Noland Bay, 

 on the North-East Coast ; also on the Great Lake. 



In Victoria this species is frequently called the " Monkey- 

 Duck " by shooters. 



Sub- Family Fuligulinae. 



WHITE-EYED DUCK (WIDGEON) 

 (Nyroca australis, Gould). 



Male. Head, neck, and breast rich chocolate; feathers on the 

 back and shoulders dark brown, edged with olive-brown; rump 

 dark brown; tail brown; wings brown, glossed with olive; quills 

 brown; secondaries mostly white; primaries centrally white, 

 together forming a conspicuous bar on the wings; across the 

 centre of the under surface is a broad band of brownish-white; 

 rest of abdomen brown; under tail coverts white; bill, basal two- 

 thirds black, rest bluish-red, with the nail black; legs and feet 

 pale bluish-lead. Dimensions in mm. : Length, 490; bill, 48.5; 

 wing, 225; tail, 63; tarsus, 34. 



Female. Similar, but slightly duller, and dimensions slightly 

 less. 



Young. Male. " Has a chestnut-brown plumage, much 

 lighter, and the feathers at the back margined with pale brown; 

 it has also less gloss on the head and the brownish-white of the 

 under parts mottled with brown " (Buller). 



Nest. The situation of the nest varies from a hollow in a 

 tree to the ground among herbage, where it is composed of grass, 

 feathers, and down. 



