178 DENDROCYGNA EYTONI 



DISTRIBUTION 



The present species of Tree Duck is confined to the continent of Australia, though it has been known 

 to straggle to New Zealand. There it has occurred several times, and in some numbers at Kaitangata 

 New and on the Thames in Otago (Purdie, 1872; Finsch, Journ. f. Ornith., vol. 22, p. 201, 



Zealand 1874; Buller, 1888) as well as on the Ashburton Domain (W. W. Smith, 1897), being 



therefore recorded only from the southeast coast of South Island. 



In Australia it is resident, but appears to be most common in the north and west, and is quite rare 

 in the south (North, 1913). Ramsay (1888) and Fraser (1903) have both, however, recorded it from 

 . .. the southwest and west, while in the northwest it is seen in large numbers. Carter {fide 



Mathews, 1914-15) says it is a common duck in this region, especially east of Point 

 Cloates, while Sbderberg (1919) states that it is rather common and that it nests near Mowla Downs 

 and on the Fitzroy River. It was found breeding at Jimbaloora Swamp and Parry's Creek (Rogers, 

 fide Mathews, 1914-15), and Hartert (1905) has recorded it from South Alligator River, Mary River, 

 Glencoe Station, Mt. Ringwood and Meda Station. Keartland (North, 1898) also states that it is 

 abundant on the Fitzroy River and that it breeds about Mt. Campbell. Stokes (Gould, 1865) saw 

 it in great numbers on the Adelaide River. It breeds on the Daly River (Keartland, fide North, 

 1913) and has been recorded for the Gulf of Carpentaria region by Stokes (Gould, 1865) and Ramsay 

 (1888). Ingram (1907) took specimens in the Alexandra District (19° south latitude) and according 

 to Stokes (Gould, 1865) it is found inland south as far as 18° south latitude to the Albert River. 



Although this species has never been found in New Guinea or any of the Melanesian Islands, it 

 appears to extend north to the very coast in Australia. Ramsay (1888) has recorded it in Queensland 

 Queens- from Cape York, Rockingham Bay, Port Denison and Wide Bay; while Berney (1907) 



l aQ d states that it is common in North Queensland. According to Macgillivray (1914) the 



species breeds in North Queensland on the Cloncurry River, and about Cape York. In New South 

 Wales it is no doubt much less common. Ramsay (1888) has recorded it for Richmond and Clarence 

 Rivers, however, and North (1913) states that it breeds on the Macquarie Marshes and that it is 

 New South abundant after the rains in the northwestern sections of New South Wales, on the 

 Wales Barwon, Warrego and Culgoa Rivers. 



There is very little information as to its status in Victoria, but that region is included in Ramsay's 

 Victoria (1888), and more recently in North's (1913) list. Of its occurrence in Tasmania I have 



Tasmania been unable to find any specific records, but it occurs there according to Legge (1887), 

 South North (1913), Littler (1910), and Mathews (1914-15). In South Australia it is common 



in the interior, on Strzelecki Creek, Cooper's Creek, etc., but not north of the Stony 

 Desert (Sturt, fide Mathews 1914-15). It is of rare occurrence on the southern coast, and in 

 general it is more abundant in the interior than along the sea. Mr. Edwin Ashby writes me that 

 the species does not now visit South Australia, though it is believed to have done so thirty years 

 West a g°> a t least south on the Murray River to Moama. Mr. Ashby, himself, doubts the 



Australia validity of these early records. In West Australia, he says, it ranges farther south, at 

 North I eas t as f ar as Perth. In North Territory he thinks it is far more numerous on interior 



™ water-holes and lagoons, than on the coast. 



GENERAL HABITS 



The strongholds of Eyton's Tree Duck are the rivers and swamps of northern and 

 northwestern Australia. According to Stokes (Gould, 1865) it is not to be met on the 

 upper waters of rivers, nor near their mouths. He also states that he never found it 

 in swamps, but many observers since his time speak of swamps as its habitat. In the 



