PLATE LI I . 



GENUS NYROCA (Fleming). 



ONE species only of this form inhabits Australia: they are expert divers and frequent both fresh 

 and salt water. In habits and economy generally the present genus resembles the preceding one. 



NYKOCA AUSTEALIS (Gould). 



WHITE-EYED DUCK. Genus: Nyroca. 



UNDISTURBED inlets and arms of the sea, or slowly running tidal rivers and ereeks, are the 

 favourite haunts of this bird, which, like the tw r o preceding species, relies upon its diving- 

 powers to obtain food, and, similar to Rhynchotis, the rainy season ensures its presence in the settled 

 districts of the country. 



The species has a wide range of habitat in Australia, being met with from the eastern to 

 the western seaboard of the southern portion of the continent : in the latter part, however, it is not 

 at all plentiful, and in the northern parts of Australia is very rare. About the rivers of the eastern 

 watershed of New South Wales numbers of these birds are shot during the rainy season, at which 

 time they are usually observed feeding in the company of Shovellers and M. Membranaceus. 



So frequently were numbers of these birds seen on the rivers of Tasmania by Gould that he 

 was certain that their breeding places were on that island ; nothing is, however, accurately known 

 respecting the nidification of the species. 



The male bird is slightly larger than the female ; but the sexes may always be known by 

 the brighter plumage of the former. 



The colour of the male is a uniform reddish-brown, a band of lighter colour runs across the 

 breast ; the secondaries are white at the base, showing a conspicuous mark on the wing ; bill, dark grey, 

 white near the tip : irides, white ; legs and feet, dusky brown. 



Habitats : The southern portion of Australia, from east to west, and Tasmania and its 

 adjacent islands. 



GENUS ANAS (Linn) 



nnHE great variation in size and plumage of members of this genus renders it very difficult to strictly 

 J- classify them into species. They are the Australian representatives of the European Wild Duck ; 

 no country in the world is without one or more members of the tribe. 



