EYTON'S TREE DUCK 179 



breeding season the birds retire to the well-grassed country, and usually some dis- 

 tance from the water (North, 1913). In general this species is found in the same 

 localities as the Wandering Tree Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata).. and is similar in its 

 habits. 



Wariness. Even the early travelers speak of these birds as being very wary, a 

 characteristic that is at variance with the habits of other Tree Ducks (Stokes in 

 Gould, 1865; Sturt in Mathews, 1914-15; Leichhardt, Journ. Overl. Exp. Austr., 



1847). 



Daily Movements. This species is nocturnal and crepuscular in its habits, 

 and in this respect resembles its congeners. Keartland (North, 1898), in northwest 

 Australia, often disturbed flocks numbering thousands, feeding at night in the dry 

 grass. Toward morning these flocks returned to the water, and after a short bath 

 repaired to the shelter of bushes on the bank, packing so closely together when 

 sleeping, that seven or eight could be taken at a shot. 



Flight. The flight of this duck is powerful, and some writers speak of it as labori- 

 ous (Berney, 1907). Doubtless it is gooselike and not so rapid as that of true ducks. 

 One of Gould's (1865) correspondents spoke of "large V-shaped flights" passing in 

 March, from southeast to northwest. Few observers have ever noted Tree Ducks on 

 migration, and it may well be that when traveling long distances they fly in orderly 

 flocks like geese. But this is certainly not true of these birds when flighting about 

 their feeding grounds. 



Flocks of from 120 to 150, and one of 300, have been seen in North Queensland 

 (Berney, 1907; Macgillivray, 1914) while in the interior of northwest Australia 

 much larger aggregations have been noted. Leichhardt (Journ. Overl. Exp. Austr., 

 1847) speaks of "large swarms" and claims to have seen the sky black with these 

 water-fowl. 



Swimming. There are very few references to the behavior of these birds on the 

 water. The species is an inhabitant of the plains and shallow swamps and is ex- 

 tremely gooselike in its mode of living. 



Perching. Where trees exist it has been noted to perch in a " very clumsy man- 

 ner, swinging and pitching to and fro" (Stokes in Gould, 1865), but the species cer- 

 tainly spends very little time on trees. In captivity they do not seem to care about 

 perching, even when they have full wings. 



Association with other Species. The Plumed Whistling Duck seems to as- 

 sociate freely with its congener Dendrocygna arcuata in northwest Australia, and 



