﻿PuRDiE. — On a Supposed New S2Jecies of Duck. 213 



on my head as I lay on the ground, and hopping about me pecking at my 

 watch chain, or at anything else which took their fancy. On one occasion I 

 fed one with crumbs of bread, which it ate readily. After satisfying its hunger, 

 it proceeded to hide what it could not eat under the edges of foliaceous lichens 

 upon a gnarled old tree close to where I was sitting, no doubt resorting to this 

 store when it next felt hungry. As Mr, Potts has observed, the song of this 

 bird is sweet, but, as I think, wanting in continuity. However, it is an 

 amusing little fellow, and its familiarity diminishes that sense of loneliness 

 which is always more or less inspired by the stillness and monotony of the 

 great Beech forests. 



Art. XXXV. — On a Supposed New Species of Buck. By A. C. Purdie. 



\_Rtad before the Otago Institute, IQth SejAemher, 1871.] 



The duck in question was shot some time ago at Kaitangata, and sent to town 

 by Mr. J. P. Maitland, Clutha. It was one of a flock of fourteen, which was 

 seen on the Lake there, and supposed to be a new species, at least to the 

 district, none of the settlers having seen it previously. This duck differs 

 from all the Anatidce in our collection, which includes all those mentioned in 

 Buller's list but two, viz., the white-winged duck, identified by BuUer as 

 Nyroca Australis, of Gould, and one which Buller named ATias gracilis, iden- 

 tified by Dr. Finsch as Anas gihherifrons. 



Extreme length from tip of beak to tip of tail, IS'iin. ; beak, l-7oin. ; 

 tail, 3in. ; colour of beak yellowish brown mottled with black, tip hooked 

 and horny; top of head greenish brown, sides of head lighter, shading into 

 light grey on thi-oat ; front of neck and upper part of breast greenish yellow, 

 running into rich yellowish brown with bars of black (on breast) ; belly to 

 vent white ; under tail coverts, yellowish white ; over thighs (tibia) a yellow 

 band, with black margins meeting at tail coverts, a few of which are long and 

 turn over the back, giving a rather gay appearance, meeting in a yellow spot 

 on the back above the tail ; tail black, with ten primary feathers 3 inches 

 long ; tail coverts yellow, tipped with black ; back dark brown, with a greyish 

 tinge ; wing coverts greenish brown, fringed with white ; greater wing coverts 

 greenish brown ; primaries of wings brown, with no speculum ; wing, from 

 flexure to tip, 9-6in. ; legs and feet reddish brown colour; length of tarsus 

 2*lin. ; tibia, l-9in. ; middle toe, l-oin. ; back toe, 'Oin. ; well webbed. "^^ 



* Dendroci/ijna Eytoiii, Gould. No. 95, "Cat. of N. Z. Birds," 1871.— Ed. 



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