GENUS DENDROCYGNA (Swainson). 



VARIOUS portions of America, Africa, India, the Malayan Peninsula and Australia are inhabited 

 by this form. The two species of the genus to be found in this country both make the same 

 peculiar whistling noise when on the winy - , and are larger than the Indian and Malayan birds. 



DENDROCYGNA GOULDI. 



WHISTLING TREE-DUCK. Genus: Dendrocygna. 



rilHE extensive lagoons, lakes and marshes of the north-western part of this continent are enlivened 

 -L during the last four months of the year by prodigious nocks of this species, which resort thither 

 from the rivers and creeks of the interior to feed upon the supply of succulent aquatic weeds and 

 mussels, frogs, etc., abounding in such places, which are also favoured haunts of many other species 

 of aquatic birds. With these latter the Whistling Duck associates in harmony, although .on the 

 approach of human beings, or if a gun be discharged anywhere in the vicinity, each species will rise 

 and separate into distinct flocks, the Whistling Ducks generally making for the nearest timber, where 

 they alight on the trees in an awkward, clumsy manner, swaying to and fro, and only preserving an 

 upright position by clinging to the branches with their toes. 



When engaged in fishing they ar*e silent and industrious birds, seldom giving utterance to a 

 note, and only retiring to rest at sunset, at which time the whole of the flocks will rise simultaneously, 

 the combined effect of the whistling noise made bv some thousands of the birds startling the solitude 

 of the wilderness. 



March and April are the breeding months of the species in North-west Australia. During 

 those months numbers were observed by Gilbert to visit the small islands in the neighbourhood of 

 1*01! Essington and build their nests in the long grass. About Cambridge Gulf and the mouths of 

 the Roper and Mae Arthur Rivers breeding places of small flocks have also been discovered. In all 

 cases the nests were but roughly constructed, and the number of eggs varied from five to ten, and 

 were of a creamy-white colour : two inches long by one and a half in breadth was the average size. 



Crown of the head, upper parts of the back and wings, brown, the feathers bordered by a 

 lighter margin : rump, tail and outer wing feathers, slaty : wing-coverts, chestnut ; sides of the head, 

 buff, with finely-pencilled markings on the tips of the feathers ; breast and abdomen, deep chestnut, 

 barred with circular markings of black : lanceolate flank feathers, yellowish, margined with brown : 

 i rides, brown ; bill, very dark grey ; tarsi and feet, greenish-grey. 



Habitats : Australia generally : more abundant in the north-west than elsewhere on the 



continent. 



