120 



MUSH DUCK* 



as fertile as any in the world- The mules of this 

 tribe (similar to other })arts of tlie colony) kiinek 

 out the front incisor tooth on arriving at the age 

 of puberty, and being admitted into the couiicil 

 aiii} to^kfy of mm, 



I had an opportunity of examining a male 

 stuffed specimen of the ninsk dnck/' which 

 had lately been shot in the Cudgegong river, 

 I felt desirous of procuring a recent specimen 

 im dteeotiott, to aseertstfti from what gtod tli« 

 musk was secreted, which diffuses so strong an. 

 odour over the body of this bird, and its ^^itHa- 

 tion, but did not succeed in securing one fit 

 for the purpose ; I felt more desirous of de- 

 eiding the point, as^1ili,o$e p^T|CW witk whom I 

 Md convert on iJie Mljeet, nad who kad seen 

 the bird in its recent state, were much divided 

 in opinion, and gave ver}^ contradictory ac- 

 counts. The bird is of an uniform dark 



speeded mlm$ m^t liia wfeole hoifj ^<jept 

 ttjw ik^ bm^ miA ^Isdmk^j wba^e tt be- 



estiO^ lighter • tlie bill is black ami short, in 

 proportion to the size of tlie bird ; the wings are 

 slioit, and inadequate for the purpose of Hight, 

 tmt iiasist the animal ^^-it iniBS ove}' the water ; 

 tlie ^otid |]»ea{eatherof the^ogs k t\m tmges^t 

 the tail is short, and consists of several very stitf 

 leathers. It is a shy bird, diving the iiij»t4wit it 



