Birds of Celebes: Aiiatidae. 
871 
Sex 
The sexes are not known to differ in coloration. About half of our specimens have 
the middle of the neck and throat . blackish grey, narrowly barred or spotted with 
whitish — possibly a sexual difference. 
“Bill black; tarsi and feet ashy, more or less tinged with reddish; irides brown 
or chestnut” (D ’Albertis 4). 
The young in first plumage have the white spots on the feathers of the flanks whitish, 
broadly edged mth black, and the feathers of the sides and breast with the white 
snots drawn out into irregular mesial streaks (N. Celebes — 0 10421). 
^ |_ Middle 
Measurements. — Tail; c. 70 mm 
Young. 
a. (0 14495) ad., Tonkean, E. Cel., V. — Vm. 95 (K C.) 
b. (C 14496) ad., Tonkean, E. Cel., V.— VIII. 95 (iid.) 
c. (C 13266) ad., hlinahassa, Feb. 94 (iid.) 
d. (C 13267) ad., Minahassa, Feb. 94 (iid.) 
e. (C 10420) ad., N. Celebes 
f. (C 10421) juv., N. Celebes 
g. (C 13020) ad., Kabruang, TalautIs.,Nov.93 (Nat. Coll.) 
h. (C 13019) ad., Kabruang, Talautls., Nov. 93 (iid.) . 
i. (C 13018) ad., Kabruang, Talautls., Nov. 93 (iid.) . 
j. (C 13022) ad., Kabruang, Talaut Is., Nov. 93 (iid.) . 
k. (C 13021) ad., Kabruang, Talaut Is., Nov. 93 (iid.) . 
l. (C 13023) ad., Kabruang, Talautls., Nov. 93 (iid.) . 
Nest and eggs. Recorded from New Guinea. According to 
nests in holes in trees. D ’Albertis sjpeaks of the 
Wing Tarsus 
212 
218 
213 
215 
210 
210 
222 
223 
226 
, I 222 
, 218 
I 223 
Dr. E. 
eggs as 
47 
50 
45 
51 
51 
50 
50 
48 
50 
50 
51 
toe with 
claw 
Exposed 
culmen 
67 
70 
68 
74 
75 
73 
71 
72 
73 
74 
P. Ramsay 
white, the 
44 
45 
42 
45 
43 
41 
44 
.46 
43 
45 
46 
45 
the bird 
ducklings 
yellow and black (1). 
Distribution. Philipinnes — Mindanao (Platen b 7); Talaut Is. Kabruang (Nat. Coll.), 
Celebes — Minahassa (v. Rosenberg b 1, Nat. Coll.), Gorontalo Distr. (Rosenberg 
hi, dl), E. Celebes (Nat. Coll, a 5)\ Moluccas — Burn, Ternate, Batchian, Kelang, 
Ceram, Amboiua,- Goram, Ceramlaut (see Salvador! 7); Papuasia — Timorlaut, 
Kei, Ai’u, New Guinea (Salvador! i, 3). 
The White-spotted Tree Duck is said by v. Rosenberg, whose remarks 
relate chiefly to the Gorontalo District, to be very plentiful in Celebes. In two 
months shooting with his hunters on Lake Limbotto, the traveller obtained 23 
examples. It also seems to be plentiful in the Talaut Islands. Here, judging 
from our measurements, it is a Httle longer in the wing than in Celebes. The 
type of D. guttata was obtained by Forsten in Celebes. It is curious that it 
is wanting in most collections from there. Probably it makes a good roast. 
The present species may be distinguished from its compatriot in Celebes, 
Dendrocgcna arcuata, by its rufous white, not cinnamon-rufous, under surface, 
by its wanting the black spots on the breast, but having here white ones in- 
distinctly seen through the yellow-rufous of the breast, but showing conspicuously 
on the sides. 13y reason of its white spots, it is placed by Schlegel and 
Salvador! next to D. arborea (L.) of the West Indies. The latter is a larger 
bird, with shorter toes, no white on the upper tail-coverts, with black spots on 
the wing-coverts, and other differences (b 1). 
