AUSTRALIAN WHITE-EYED DUCK 219 



Enemies. The enemies of Australian ducks have been discussed in some detail 

 in the account of the Australian Black Duck. There is nothing particular to add 

 here, beyond a note by White (in Mathews, 1914-15), who says that he found 90% 

 of these ducks containing tape-worms, some yards and yards of them. The intro- 

 duced fox, weasel, cat, brown rat and other mammals are destructive to nests and 

 sitting birds. The frequent brush fires are mentioned as an important factor in the 

 decrease of many ground-nesting birds and it is possible that these may prove dis- 

 astrous to some ducks, especially those that nest at a little distance from water. 



Food Value. Evidently this is considered a fairly good bird in Australia, for it 

 brought from 4 to 6 shillings the pair in the Sydney Market thirty-five years ago 

 (Ramsay, 1876a). In the market of Hobart, Tasmania, Legge (1905) found them 

 even more plentiful than the Black Duck. Austin (in North, 1913), writing of New 

 South Wales, says these ducks vary much in the quality of the flesh: "I have known 

 them shot at certain lagoons from which they are anything but a good eating bird, 

 from other lagoons they are equal to the best of ducks, and yet we could not notice 

 any difference in other species of ducks from the same waters." 



Hunt. Australian sportsmen seem to consider this duck a very difficult shot for 

 a novice. Dense plumage, rapid flight and expert diving make them good sporting 

 birds. 



Behaviok est Captivity. This species has never been imported alive into Europe 

 or America. Mr. D. Le Souef, writing from Melbourne, tells me that he has kept 

 them there in the Gardens, but that they have never bred. 



Hybrids. I have been unable to find any records of hybrids with this duck. 



