Birds of Celebes: Anatidae. 



871 



Sex. The sexes are not known to differ in coloration. About half of our specimens have 

 the middle of the neck and throat blackish grey, narrowly barred or spotted with 

 whitish — possibly a sexual difference. 



"Bill black; tarsi and feet ashy, more or less tinged with reddish ; irides brown 

 or chestnut" (D'Albertis 4). 



Young. The young in first plumage have the white spots on the feathers of the flanks whitish, 

 broadly edged with black, and the feathers of the sides and breast with the white 

 spots drawn out into u-regular mesial streaks (N. Celebes — 10421). 



Measurements. — Tail: c. 70 mm 



Wing 



Tarsus 



Middle 



toe with 



claw 



Exposed 

 culmen 



a. (C 14495)ad., Tonkean, E.Cel.. v.— Vrn. 95(N.C.) 212 47 67 44 



b. (C 14496) ad., Tonkean, E. Cel, V.— VIII. 95 (iid.) 218 50 70 45 



c. (C 13266) ad., Minahassa, Feb. 94 (iid.). . . . . 213 45 68 42 



d. (C 13267) ad., Minahassa, Feb. 94 (iid.) 215 51 74 45 



e. (C 10420) ad., N. Celebes 210 51 75 43 



f. (C 10421) juv., N. Celebes 210 — — 41 



g. (Cl3020)ad.,Kabruang,TalautIs.,Nov.93(Nat.Coll.) 222 50 73 44 

 h. (C 13019) ad., Kabruang, Talaut Is., Nov. 93 (iid.) . 223 50 — 46 

 i. (C 13018) ad., Kabruang, Talaut Is., Nov. 93 (iid.). 226 48 71 43 

 j. (C 13022) ad., Kabruang, Talaut Is., Nov. 93 (iid.) . 222 50 72 45 

 A-. (C 13021) ad., Kabruang, Talaut Is., Nov. 93 (iid.) . 218 50 73 46 

 /. (0 13023) ad., Kabruang, Talaut Is., Nov. 93 (iid.) . 223 51 74 45 



Nest and eggs. Recorded from New Guinea. According to Dr. E. P. Ramsay the bird 

 nests in holes in trees. D'Albertis speaks of the eggs as white, the ducklings 

 yellow and black (1). 



Distribution. Philippines — Mindanao (Platen b 7); Talaut Is. — Kabruang (Nat. Coll.); 

 Celebes — Minahassa (v. Rosenberg b 1, Nat. Coll.), Gorontalo Distr. (Rosenberg 

 b 1, d 1), E. Celebes (Nat. Coll. a 5); Moluccas — Burn, Ternate, Batchian, Kelang, 

 Ceram, Amboiua, Goram, Ceramlaut (see Salvadori 1); Papuasia — Timorlaut, 

 Kei, Ai'u, New Guinea (Salvadori 1, 3). 



The White-spotted Tree Duck is said by v. Rosenberg, whose remarks 

 relate chiefly to the Gorontalo District, to be very plentiful in Celebes. In two 

 months shooting with his hunters on Lake Limbotto, the traveller obtained 23 

 examples. It also seems to be plentiful in the Talaut Islands. Here, judging 

 from our measurements, it is a little longer in the wing than in Celebes. The 

 type of D. guttata was obtained by Forsten in Celebes. It is curious that it 

 is wanting in most collections from there. Probably it makes a good roast. 



The present species may be distinguished from its compatriot in Celebes, 

 Dendroci/cna arcuata, by its rufous white, not cinnamon-rufous, under surface; 

 by its wanting the black spots on the breast, but having here white ones in- 

 distinctly seen through the yellow- rufous of the breast, but showing conspicuously 

 on the sides. By reason of its white spots, it is placed by Schlegel and 

 Salvadori next to D. arborea (L.) of the West Indies. The latter is a larger 

 bird, with shorter toes, no white on the upper tail-coverts, with black spots on 

 the wing-coverts, and other differences (b 1). 



