THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA, 
on the water it is quite silent, emitting no kind of noise ; but all the 
time it is on the wing it gives utterance to a peculiar whistle. The 
stomach is extremely muscular, and the food consists of small fish and 
aquatic plants.” 
A word of warning must be given with regard to the vernacular name of 
this Duck : it is now universally known as Whistling Duck, but the earlier 
investigators apparently applied that name to other species. This species 
was not known from Australia until after 1830, so that I noted with surprise 
that Sharpe {Hist. Coll. Nat. Hist. Brit. Miis.^ Vol. II., p. 244, 1906) wrote 
that on the twenty-fifth day’s sale of the Bullock Collection, the 10th June, 
1819, Lot 3 was The Whistling Duck of New Holland, and this was purchased 
bv Professor Temminck for £1. 
My surprise deepened when referring to the Trans. Linn. Soc. (Lond.), 
Vol. IV., p. 103, 1798, where Latham described Anas semipahnata. I 
observed that of this bird Latham wrote : “ It was observed sometimes to 
perch on trees, in the manner of the Whistling Duck.^’ If this note 
referred to this species this would be the earliest record of its occurrence 
in Australia, but a clue was given to a complication by the note of Sturt’s 
{Narr. Exped. Centr. A^istr., Vol. II., App., p. 56, 1849) where he wrote 
of Malacorhynchus memhranaceus : “ It is very common on most of the 
Australian creeks and streams and is called the Whistling Duck.” As, 
however, the little Pink-eared Duck is not famed, as far as I know, for 
perching on trees, we cannot with certainty attach Latham’s note to 
this bird. 
It is probable that still other species of Ducks were known as WJiistling 
Ducks to the earliest settlers. 
Berney notes {Emu, Vol. VI., p. 156, 1907) of North Queensland : “ A 
rare visitant, of whose visits I have only three records — February, June and 
December. Doubtless it is at times overlooked, and put down as D. eytoni, 
but it is undoubtedly rare.” 
Hall {Emu, Vol. IX., p. 78, 1909) writing of Victoria, states : “ Evidently 
a rare species in this locality, for during the last 8 or 9 years only one 
flock has been seen (50 birds). About thirty years ago they were numerous, 
and it was a common sight to find them camped upon the dead limbs of 
the red gum-trees. This is a very quiet Duck.” 
Mr. G. A. Keartland (North, Austr. Mus. Spec. Gat., no. 1, Vol. IV., p. 67, 
1913) says : “ Across the northern portion of Australia, Whistling Ducks 
{Dendrocygna arcuata) are usually plentiful. During the night they fly 
inland on the MitcheU-grass or Flinders-grass Plains and feed, but towards 
daybreak they frequent the rivers or lagoons for a bathe or drink, and then 
64 
