226 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



spotted with irregular buffish-white marks; no speculum on the 

 wings; primaries plain brown; under surface whitish, tinged with 

 bufi, especially on the chest, where the colour approaches rich 

 chestnut ; under wing coverts white, more or less freckled with 

 brown; axillaries pure white; bill greenish-grey, nail black; legs 

 and feet bluish-green. Dimensions in mm.: — Length, 5oO; bill, 

 57; wing, 232; tail, 75; tarsus, 41.5. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Nest. — Among herbage on the ground. 



Eggs. — Clutch nine to twelive probably; lengthened ellipse 

 in shape ; texture of shell fairly fine ; surface greasy to the 

 touch; colour light greenish-white. Dimensions in mm. of odd 

 examples in the Launceston Museum : — (1) 52.5 x 40, (2) 55 x 41. 



Breeding Season. — October to December. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South and Western Australia, and Queensland. 



Observations. — Shooting begins 1st February, ends 30th June. 

 The Freckled Duck is an extremely rare species in Tasmania; 

 there are but few records of it having been obtained here. It is 

 occasionally seen on the Maoquarie River and about Noland Bay, 

 on the North-Bast Coast ; also on the Great Lake. 



In Victoria this species is frequently called the "Monkey- 

 Duck " by shooters. 



Sub- Family — Fuligulinae. 



WPIITE-EYED DUCK (Widgeon) 

 {Nyroca australis, Gould). 



Male. — Head, neck, and breast rich chocolate; feathers on the 

 back and shoulders dark brown, edged with olive-brown; rump 

 dark brown; tail brown; wings brown, glossed with olive; quills 

 brown; secondaries mostly white; primaries centrally white, 

 together forming a conspicuous bar on ^he wings; across the 

 centre of the under surface is a broad band of brownish-white ; 

 rest of abdomen brown ; under tail coverts white ; bill, basal two- 

 thirds black, rest bluish-red, with the nail black; legs and feet 

 pale bluish-lead. Dimensions in mm. : — Length, 490; bill, 48.5; 

 wing, 225 ; tail, 68 ; tarsus, 34. 



Female. — Similar, but slightly duller, and dimensions slightly 

 less. 



Young. — Male. — " Has a chestnut-brown plumage, much 

 lighter, and the feathers at the back margined with pale brown; 

 it has also less gloss on the head and the brownish-white of the 

 under parts mottled with brown " (Duller). 



Nest.- — The situation of the nest varies from a hollow in a 

 tree to the ground among herbage, where it is composed of grass, 

 feathers, and down. 



