WANDERING TREE DUCK 



DENDROCYGNA ARCUATA (Hohsfield) 



(Plate 12) 



Synonymy 

 Anas arcuata Horsfield, Zoological Researches in Java, pi. 62 and text, 1822. 

 Dendroeygna arcuata Swainson, Classif. Birds, vol. 2, p. 365, 1837. 

 Dendrocygna vagans Eyton, MS.; Fraser, Zool. Typ., pi. 68, 1849. 

 Dendroeygna javanica peroni Mathews, Austral Avian Record, vol. 1, p. 86, 1912. 

 Dendrocygna javanica gouldi Mathews, Novitates Zool., vol. 18, p. 237, 1912. 

 Dendrocygna javanica australis Mathews, Birds of Australia, vol. 4, pt. 1, p. 62, 1914. 



Note: Oberholser (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 34, p. 166, 1921) has recently advocated the 

 use of Fraser's name, Dendrocygna vagans, for this species instead of Horsfield's Anas arcuata, on 

 the ground that the latter having been admittedly proposed as a substitute for Anas javanica is thus 

 a pure synonym of it. An examination of Horsfield's excellent colored plate, however, shows con- 

 clusively that the bird to which he applies the name arcuata was not the species with unspotted breast 

 to which javanica really pertains, but is after all the distinct species with crescentic markings on the 

 breast feathers, for which therefore the name arcuata must continue to be used. 



Vernacular Names 



English: Spanish (Philippines): 

 Whistling Teal Balinio — (Luzon) 



Wandering Tree Duck Naga — (Ticao) 



Black-spotted Tree Duck Gakit — (Bohol) 



Whistling Tree Duck Java: 

 French: Meliwies 



Dendrocygne de l'lnde Meliwis kembang 



German: Aborigines of Australia: 



Bogenente En-jep-ere 



Indische or Celebes Ente Chipala 



DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male: Whole top of head and broad line down dorsal surface of neck black. Rest of head pale 

 fulvous, lighter on chin and throat. Mantle and scapulars black, the feathers broadly tipped with 

 golden brown. The feathers of the mantle are sometimes only barred with black. Rump black, 

 central upper tail-coverts black but lateral ones white or spotted. Lower parts light chestnut, the 

 breast more or less barred with black. Under tail-coverts whitish. The flank feathers are of the orna- 

 mented type seen in Eyton 's Tree Duck and are broadly streaked with white, black and rufous. Lesser 

 and median wing-coverts rich chestnut. Primaries black. 



Bill black; legs and feet ashy gray. Iris brown. 



Wing 186 mm.; bill 44; tarsus 50. 



