86 BIRDS 



THE FULVOUS TREE-DUCK* 



The Tree-ducks are natives of tropical or semi-tropical 

 countries. Two species are found in the United States, the 

 bird of our illustration and the Black-bellied Tree-duck. 

 The range of the fulvous species extends from the southern 

 border of the United States, and in Nevada and California, 

 southward through Mexico, and reappears in the southern 

 portion of Brazil and in the Argentine Republic. It has 

 also been reported as a visitor to the States of North Caro- 

 lina and Missouri. 



Mr. Frank M. Woodruff, in speaking of his experience 

 while on a collecting tour in Texas, says : " I found the 

 Fulvous Tree-duck in small numbers resident on Galveston 

 Island, but found them abundant and nesting in the heavy 

 timber along the Brazos River, sixty miles from Galveston. 

 In the early morning, as we would leave our boat and make 

 our way to our blinds, on some small inland pond where 

 we had prepared for collecting, we would flush immense 

 flocks of this duck, which would fly over our heads at rather 

 a low altitude, and continuously calling. On several occa- 

 sions we obtained specimens by firing into a flock while it 

 was still so dark that we could scarcely define the outlines 

 of the individual birds. The fulvous tree-duck generally 

 feeds in the night, and usually at a place several miles from 

 the nesting site. They leave the feeding grounds on the 

 first sign of approaching day. During my stay of three 

 months in the Brazos River region, only on one or two 

 occasions did I have an opportunity to obsei-x'e this bird by 



