DEKDllOCYCNA FULVA. 93. 



Genus DENDROCYCNA. 



The geniTS Dendrocycna — or Dendrocygna^ as most of us would probably 

 still prefer to call it — contains our two widely-known species of Whistling- 

 Teal as well as seven others, some of which are found in every continent 

 except Europe. 



Whistling-Teal are amongst the few Anatida3 that perch constantly 

 on trees, and also breed on them. The sexes are similar in plumage, 

 though the female is often slightly smaller than the male. Many 

 systematists used to consider that they were more closely allied to the 

 Anserinse than to the Anatina^, and in many ways they do clearly 

 approach the former — more especially, perhaps, in the formation of the 

 legs and bills. 



They are non-migratory ducks, or only migratory in a very local way. 



Key to Species. 



a. Upper tail-coverts whitish, sometimes marked M'ith black . D. fulva. 



b. Upper tail-coverts uniform chestnut D. javanica. 



(18) DENDROCYCNA FULVA. 

 THE GEEATER WHISTLING-TEAL. 



Dendrocygna major, Jei-don, B. I. iii, p. 790 ; Hume, Nests ^- E'jgs, p. 640 ; 



id. Str. Feath. iii, p. 193. 

 Dendrocygna fulva, Hume ^' Davis. Str. Feath. vi, p. 488 ; Hume, ibid. 



vii, p. 463, viii, p. 115 ; Legge, B. of Cey. p. 1069 ; Hume Sf Mar. Game-B. 



iii, p. 119 ; Hume, Cat. no. 953 ; Parher, Str. Feath. ix, p. 487 ; Oates, 



ibid. X, p. 245 ; id. B. of Brit. Burm. ii, p. 274 ; Barnes, B. of Bom. 



p. 399 ; Hume, Nests Sj- Eggs {Oates ed.), iii, p. 286. 

 Dendrocycna fulva, Sahadori, Cat. B. If. xxvii, p. 149 ; Blanford, Fauna 



B. I. iv, p. 432. 



Description. Adult. — "Head, neck, and lower parts deep reddish-ochraceous, 

 passing into cinnamon on the flanks, where the louger feathers have a broad mesial 

 stripe of pale ochraceous, bordered by dusky ; crown ferruginous, nape with a 

 distinct brown-black stripe, commencing at tiie occiput ; middle of the neck 

 whitish, minutely streaked with dusky on the edges of the feathers ; prevailing 

 colour above brownish-black, the dorsal and scapular feathers broadly edged 

 with cinnamon colour, giving a barred appearance : lesser wing-coverts chestnut ; 



