WHISTLING BUCK. 
Dendrocygna javanica peroni Mathews, Austral Av. Rec., Vol. I., p. 86, 1912 ; Fitzroy 
Rher, North-west Australia. 
Distribution. North-west Australia ; Northern Territory ; Queensland ; New South 
Wales ; Victoria. 
Adult male. Back and scapulars black, the feathers margined with chestnut ; lesser upper 
wing-coverts bright chestnut ; median and greater coverts black, some of which 
are margined with chestnut on the inner webs ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts 
and quills uniform black ; crown of head and a narrow line down the hind-neck 
dark brown ; sides of the face, throat, and sides of neck pale rufous ; lower hind- 
neck and fore-neck rufous barred with black ; abdomen and sides of body uniform 
chestnut, the long flank feathers margined with black and fringed with rufous, or 
chestnut, on the inner web ; vent and under tail-coverts buffy-white, the former 
streaked with brown ; axillaries and under wing-coverts dark brown ; lower back, 
rump, and upper tail-coverts black ; sides of the rump and some of the small upper 
tail-coverts bufly -white. Bill black ; iris brown ; tarsi and feet leaden brown. 
Total length 470 mm. ; culmen 47, wing 210, tail 54, tarsus 51. 
Ad^dt female. Similar to the adult male. 
Immature. Differs chiefly by its dull white throat, paler breast and lower hind-neck, the 
white on the sides of the rump, and the white under tail-coverts. 
Flapper. Darker above with the edges of the feathers deep buff and lacks the barred 
appearance on the lower hind-neck ; lower fore-neck uniform rufous brown ; sides 
of the breast rufescent ; middle and abdomen with feathers with white centres. 
Nest. Placed in the grass, without lining. 
Eggs. Clutch, 10 to 15 ; creamy-white, rather like those of the former, slightly glossy and 
pointed at both ends. Axis 51 mm., diameter 35. 
Breeding-season. February, March, May, November (North). 
The life-history of this bird, as that of almost every other Australian Duck, 
is practically unknown. Mr. J. P. Rogers notes result as recorded in the 
lUs 1914, p. 107 : “ A few were seen (at Melville Island) from October to 
December. On the 10th of January, 1912, a large flock passed over.” I 
make this remark as the reviewers have pointed out that through an 
extraordinary oversight I omitted to record that the collection reported 
upon in that paper was made by Mr. J. P. Rogers, and that all the field 
notes there printed were from his pen. \ 
So little has been made known of the habits of this species that it is 
necessary to reproduce Gould’s account prepared from Gilbert’s notes: 
“During the months of September, October, November and December, 
the IVhistling Duck assembles in vast flocks on the lakes around the 
settlement at Port Essington ; the lagoons and water at that season of the 
year are so shallow, that this and many other species of the Duck tribe are 
enabled to wade among the herbage and procure an abundant supply of 
food. Gilbert states that, on the approach of man or the report of a gun, 
this and the other species in company with it rise altogether, but that each 
species separates itself into a distinct flock during the act of rising. While 
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