138 DENDROCYGNA BICOLOR 



Enemies. On this point there is no special information, but these ducks, like 

 other species, are exposed to the usual dangers from predaceous animals. 



Damage. Our only information on this point is the fact that they feed commonly 

 on rice in India (Hume and Marshall, 1879) and in the cornfields in Mexico (Law- 

 rence, 1874). It is possible that, like their cousins, the Black-bellied Tree Ducks, 

 they at times cause much damage. 



Food Value. In all parts of their range the Fulvous Ducks are almost univer- 

 sally considered as a delicate food for the table. A notably divergent opinion is that 

 of Horsbrugh (1912), who, writing of South Africa, refers to them as "rank and 

 fishy." Baker (1908) has nothing much better to say about them. He tells of their 

 being shot in India for servants and boatmen, and classes them among those birds 

 which are made edible only by the use of curry and when served as a stew, or in a 

 mulligatawney soup. 



Hunting. In Bengal, Baker (1908) speaks of their being shot very little for sport, 

 as they are not considered game. All hunters have found them easier to shoot than 

 the true ducks, and less rapid on the wing. No doubt, as with other Tree Ducks, 

 natives have made a practice of searching out nests, taking eggs and setting them 

 under hens, or catching and rearing young birds before they are able to fly. In 

 Madagascar Roch and Newton (1863) speak of numbers being "caught alive." 



They respond to an imitation of their note, and, according to Andre (1904), a 

 good whistle, to which the birds will return again and again, can be made out of a 

 couple of brass gun-shells. 



Gibson (1920) called them stupid birds, and related how he had drifted past them 

 in a canoe, between the rushes and the banks where they were assembled, and did 

 great execution "shooting into the brown" as they arose; or similarly stalking a 

 flock, most of which were asleep. I do not know that they are anywhere shot com- 

 monly over wooden decoys. 



Behavior in Captivity. These ducks are perhaps as commonly seen on orna- 

 mental waters and in parks as are the White-faced Tree Ducks. Like the latter 

 they do well, and become tame, and as a rule uninteresting, because of their inactiv- 

 ity. They do breed at times. They are hardy, more so than Dendrocygna javanica, 

 and bear the English climate out of doors, where javanica will die. They need no 

 especial care in our New England winters, beyond housing with other water-fowl of 

 the same size and strength. 



The first examples reached the London Zoological Gardens in 1867, and according 

 to Hubbard (1907) this is the only species of Tree Duck that ever bred there. The 



