132 ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL. 
bantam hen. At forty days the young are entirely feathered, 
the upper body being reddish, variegated with grey on the back 
and wings; at sixty days old they are able to fly, but the sex 
is only distinguishable in the autumn following their birth. 
Male.—Head and neck velvety-black, with metallic 
reflections ; lower portion of neck, and upper part of breast 
chestnut brown; back clear dark grey, pencilled with narrow 
waving lines of white; rump and tail jet black ; shoulder pure 
white ; flight feathers black ; wing-bar red chestnut and brilliant 
green; under tail bright chestnut; bill and legs black ; iris 
dark umber brown. 
Female.—Head and neck snow white at six months, up 
to which time she wears the black cap of her male parent ; 
upper parts red brown ; shoulder and upper wing white ; flights 
and tail black ; wing green and chestnut. Size, less than male. 
Young.—In down, greatly resembling Casarca casarca. 
In first feather at three months old, resembling adult male; 
white head of the female assumed about the sixth month. 
Egg.—Creamy-white ; five to eleven in number. May— 
June. Incubation, thirty days. 
Nest Down. 
Uniform pale ashy-brown, centres whitish. 
AUSTRALIAN SHELDRAKE. 
(Casarca tadornoides ). 
This large and splendid duck comes to us from New 
Holland, and is a native of Southern Australia. The specimens 
possessed by the Zoological Society of London were presented 
by the Acclimatization Society of Victoria. 
‘‘It resorts to rivers, heads of the bays, and inlets of the sea near 
Hobart Town ; and breeds on the alluvial flats in that district ; it is also 
said to breed in the hollow spouts and boles of the lofty gum trees. The 
