Goose-shooting 255 



occasionally assisted in nesting duties. Once or 

 twice I saw them near small ponds in woods 

 apparently nesting, flying from tree to tree with 

 perfect ease, exhibiting some concern at our pres- 

 ence. 



Both varieties of tree-ducks are nocturnal in 

 their habits, and fond of visiting the corn-fields, 

 where they often inflict much damage by alighting 

 on the stalk and breaking it. The note is a shrill 

 pe-che-che-ne, and hence the native name. They 

 are readily tamed, and become very gentle. We 

 noticed a pair in one of the yards at Tampico 

 perfectly at home with the barnyard ducks. When 

 domesticated, they are said to be as good as a 

 watch-dog, uttering their note at slight provoca- 

 tion. This bird is known along the lower Rio 

 Grande as the long-legged duck and the fiddler 

 duck; in Mexico as the pe-che-che-ne and the 

 pato maizal, or corn-field duck. 



FULVOUS TREE-DUCK 



(Dendrocygna fulva) 



Adult male and female — Similar in plumage; top of head, rufous, 

 darkest on nape ; sides of head, yellowish brown ; a ring of black 

 feathers with white centres on middle of neck ; lower neck, dark 

 yellowish brown ; back, black tipped with cinnamon, giving it a 

 barred appearance ; wing-coverts, chestnut ; wing, black ; tail, 

 black; upper and under tail-coverts, white; throat, light buff; 

 upper parts of breast, yellowish brown ; under parts, cinnamon ; 

 bill, bluish black ; legs and feet, slate ; iris, brown. 



