24G NYROCA NOV^E SEELANDIsE 



Immature Female: The female at first lacks the white face-patch, and is very much lighter on the 

 abdomen; almost white, in fact. The upper surface is the same as in the adult female. 



Immature Male: Not examined. 



Downy Young: Has the down thick-set, the upper parts pale clove brown, the under parts white; a 

 dusky collar around the neck; an obscure white spot on each wing, and a small one on each side of the 

 rump; the hair-like filaments on the upper parts rather long, very fine in texture, and perfectly black. 

 Iris dark brown; bill reddish brown, the under mandible yellow, with a brownish tip; feet light brown, 

 both these and the bill having a fine polish (Buller). 



DISTRIBUTION 



This species is confined to New Zealand, where it is generally distributed, though commoner on the 

 North than on the South Island (Buller, 1888; Hutton and Drummond, 1905), to Auckland Island 

 (Hutton, 1870) and to the Chatham Islands (Forbes, 1893). 



GENERAL HABITS 



This duck, so imperfectly known to most sportsmen and ornithologists, is, or appar- 

 ently once was, very numerous on rivers and lagoons, anywhere, in fact, where fresh- 

 water feeding grounds were available. It was according to Buller (1888) seldom 

 found in the hill creeks or on the sea-shore. Potts (1870) says it used to be common 

 in the hill country but as long ago as his time had quite disappeared in some districts. 



It is probably as closely related to the Pochards as to the Scaups and has all the 

 characteristics of a true diving duck. 



It was in former times very tame, and seems to have always been reluctant in 

 using its wings. Buller (1888) remarks that its powers of flight are very feeble, that 

 it never rises high in the air and generally skims along the surface. It is an expert 

 diver and eludes pursuit in that way. 



Like other diving ducks they are very gregarious and in winter assemble in large 

 flocks, mingling with the Australian Black Duck and other species. At other seasons 

 they are in pairs or small parties. Travers (1872) who speaks of them as usually found 

 in small flocks, saw them frequently sitting on half-submerged logs close to the bank, 

 where, he thought, they were watching for fish. It is, however, very unlikely that 

 fish is their chief food. He found them not at all shy. They would drop quietly into 

 the water from logs, when approached. 



Buller (1888) noticed that they were semi-nocturnal in their habits, and when 

 eel-fishing parties lighted their fires on the banks of a stream, these inquisitive birds, 

 he says, swam close up and manifested great curiosity. In his opinion they are 

 naturally fearless and when protected become very tame. 



None of the observers who have written about this species seems to have dis- 

 tinguished the voices of the sexes. Buller merely states that when playing on the 

 water it has a soft sibilant note and at intervals a feeble quack. 



