DENDROCYGNA JAVANICA. 



(THE INDIAN WHISTLING-TEAL.) 



Anas javanica, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. 1821, xiii. p. 199. 



Mareca awsuree, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 168. 



Denclrocygna arcuata (Cuv.), apud Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 301 (1849) (in part) ; 



Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 136 (1852); Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1854, xiv. 



p. 269 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, iii. p. 639. 

 Denclrocygna awsuree (Sykes), Jerdon, B. of Ind. iii. p. 789 (1865). 

 Denclrocygna javanica (Horsf.), Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 479; Legge, Ibis, 1874, p. 27, et 



1875, p. 407; Hume, Str. Feath. 1878, p. 486 (B. of Tenass.), et 1879, p. 114 (List B. 



of Ind.). 

 Whistling-Teal, Tree-Duck of some. SUM, Hind. ; Saral, Bengal ; Harrili Hans, East 



Bengal (Jerdon) ; Meliwis batu, Horsf. ; Chemba-Tara, Ceylonese Tamils. 

 Tatta-Saaru, Saaru, Sinhalese. 



Adult male (Ceylon). Length 16-8 to 17'5 inches ; wing 7*8 to 8 - ; tail 2-4; tarsus 2-0 ; middle toe and claw 2-8 

 to 2-9 ; bill to gape (straight to tip of nail) 2-0. — Female. Length 16-3 to 16-8 inches ; wing 7 - 5. 



Iris brown : orbits yellow ; bill blackish leaden ; legs and feet dark plumbeous. 



Forehead, crown, lores, hind neck, and interscapular region wood-brown, gradually changing into the dark slaty of 

 the scapulars, back, tertials, and median wing-coverts ; the shafts of the head-feathers spinous, and the lower 

 hind neck and upper back broadly edged with yellowish grey and rufous yellow respectively, the latter continued 

 down on the scapulars ; lores, face, sides of head, and the neck dusky whitish, paring into albescent on the gorge, 

 and passing into the fine ruddy chestnut of the whole breast and underparts (specimens when newly moulted 

 have a yellowish gloss on the chest) ; lesser and succeeding row of wing-coverts maroon-red ; quills brownish 

 black ; upper tail-coverts ferruginous chestnut ; tail umber-brown, edged with buff-yellow ; under tail-coverts, 

 sides of lower back, and rump dusky buff -yellowish, the basal portions of the coverts with dark interrupted bars ; 

 under wing-coverts glossy black. 



Female. Has the underparts less ruddy or paler than the male. 



06s. Examples from various parts of India (including Nepal) and Java correspond with Ceylonese specimens in 

 coloration and dimensions. A Nepal specimen measures in the wing 7 - 7, a Javan 7"3 inches. Mr. Cripps gives 

 dimensions of males as follows : — wing 7"50 to 8-04 inches, tarsus T9 to 1-92, bill from gape 1-8 to 2-06. Nicobar 

 specimens are, according to Mr. Hume, identical with Indian. 



D. arcuata, Horsf., is another species of this genus, extending from Java to Australia, and is conspicuous for the 

 coloration of the flank-feathers and the head and neck. The crown and centre of the hind neck are brownish 

 black, and the sides of the neck and face buff-white ; the upper tail-coverts are buff-yellow at the sides ; flank- 

 feathers white, with broad black margins. 



D. fulva, 6m., is larger than the last species ; flank-feathers and hind neck differently coloured. 



The following diagnosis of these three forms of Denclrocygna may be useful to local students : — 



D. javanica. Head wood-brown ; no stripe down hind neck ; upper tail-coverts chestnut, black in the middle ; breast 

 unspotted : wing 7 - 2 to 8-0 inches. 

 Habitat. India, Burmah, Java. 



D. arcuata. Head dark brown ; dark stripe down hind neck ; upper tail-coverts buff at the sides, black in the middle ; 

 breast spotted ; flanks striped, the feathers buff-white, bordered with black : wing 7-5 to 8-3 inches. 

 Habitat. Java, Malay archipelago, to North Australia. 



D. fulva. Head chestnut-brown ; black stripe down hind neck ; upper tail-coverts buff, black in the middle ; centre 

 of the neck striated ; flanks striped, the feathers buff- white, bordered with cinnamon-brown : wing 9-0 inches. 

 Habitat. India, also Madagascar and parts of South America. 



6x2 



