SPOTTED TREE DUCK 175 



DISTRIBUTION 



The Spotted Tree Duck is a common species in some of the East Indies, but is confined to a rela- 

 tively small area. It has been found in the Philippines at Davao and Zamboanga, Mindanao (Platen, 



Journ. f. Ornith., voi.38, p. 146, 1890; U.S. Biol. Surv.) and on Basilan Island (R. C.Mc- ™. ... . 



. . Philippines 



Gregor, 1909). The species is not known to occur in Borneo or even western Celebes, 



though in the eastern section of this island it appears to be common. Von Rosenberg (Ley den Museum; 



Zool. Garten, vol. 22, p. 167, 1881) found it abundant in the Minahassa and Gorontalo p . . 



districts. Walden (1872) has recorded it from Panybie, and Meyer and Wiglesworth 



(1896) report it common in northeastern Celebes. It is also said by the same author to be 



quite common on Kabruang, Talout Islands. Bernstein (Leyden Museum) has re- Talout 



corded it for Ternate and Halmahera Islands and according to Finsch (Neu Guinea, Islands 



p. 183, 1865) it is found also on Batjan. Wallace (1863), Hoedt (Leyden Museum), Moluccas 



Bruijn (Salvadori, 1882), and more recently Stresemann (1914), recorded it from Buru Island; Hoedt 



found it on Kelang, and Wallace (1863) as well as Moens (Leyden Museum) met with 



it on Ceram. According to Stresemann (1914) it is common on this island at Pasahari, 



and Lake Tapala, and Martin (1894) states that on Buru it is abundant at Wakollo. Schlegel (1866) 



states that the species is found on Ceram-laut, and it is known to occur also on Amboina (Hoedt, 



Leyden Museum) and on Goram (von Rosenberg, Leyden Museum). 



In the Kei Group the species was found by von Rosenberg (Leyden Museum). Kei 

 Rothschild and Hartert (1903) state that it was taken there on Ohoitil, and Hoitil Islands 

 Islands. It is found also on Larat in the Tenimber Islands, and has also been taken by Tenimber 

 von Rosenberg (Leyden Museum) in the Aru Group. Islands 



The status of the species in New Guinea is not yet certain. It seems to be common and breeds in 

 the southeastern section. D'Albertis (d'Albertis and Salvadori, 1879) found it there on the Yarru 

 Islands at Hall Bay, Nicura and Bioto (Salvadori, 1882), and Salvadori (Ann. Mus. Civ. New 

 Storia Nat., Genova, vol. 10, p. 19, 1877) has recorded it for Fly River and Kataw Guinea 

 River. Many specimens have been taken in the vicinity of Port Moresby, where the species breeds 

 (Ramsay, 1879). There are no records for German New Guinea, but a specimen was taken from a 

 flock of three on Gunantambu Island in the Bismarck Archipelago (Heinroth, Journ. f. Bismarck 

 Ornith., vol. 50, p. 400, 1902). Recent years have also brought proof of its occurrence in Archipelago 

 Dutch New Guinea. Both Van Oort (1909) and Ogilvie-Grant (1915) have reported its presence in 

 the vicinity of Merauke in that province; nor is it by any means certain that the Tree Duck so com- 

 monly seen by de Beaufort (1909) at Lake Sentani (northeastern Dutch New Guinea) did not be- 

 long to this species. 



GENERAL HABITS 



Although almost nothing is known of the habits of this species, it appears to be 

 plentiful enough in several of the East Indian islands. Collectors have left few 

 notes as to the intimate habits and characteristics of these ducks. In New Guinea 

 they are said to frequent the water-holes and creeks behind the coast range (Sharpe, 

 1877). The species is probably of a confiding nature, and has been described as very 

 bold on the Island of Buru (Martin, 1894). Of the voice nothing has been reported, 

 but it is probably similar to that of its nearest relative, Dendrocygna arborea of the 

 West Indies. 



The food of the Spotted Tree Duck is said to consist of the seeds of aquatic plants 



