THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
It was first described by Latham in the General History of Birds, 
Vol. X., p. 306, 1824, under the name New Holland Shieldrake, where a 
reference is given to “Cook’s Last Voy., I, 229,” which I have not 
yet traced. 
Four years later Jardine and Selby described it, giving it the Latin 
name Anas tadornoides. 
Sturt {Narr. Ex'ped. Gentr. Austr., Vol. II., App., p. 55, 1849) wrote: 
“ This beautiful duck, the pride of Australian waters, is a bird of the finest 
plumage. He is called the Mountain Duck by the settlers, and may be more 
common in the hills than the low country, since he is seldom found in the 
latter district. This bird builds in a tree, and when the young are hatched, 
the male bird carries them in his bill down to the ground. Strange, whose 
name I have already mentioned, had an opportunity to watch two birds 
that had a brood of young in the hollow of a lofty tree on the Gawler : 
and after the male bird had deposited his charge, he went and secured the 
young, five in number, which he brought to me at Adelaide, but I could 
not, with every care, keep them alive more than a month. It is not a good 
eating bird, however, as is often the case with the birds of the finer 
plumage.” 
Mr. Tom Carter writes : “ I have onlj^ seen this handsome species in 
South-west Australia. They are simply in thousands on Lake Muir (salt 
water) where I saw them in April and December, 1911. I was shown an 
old nest that had contained twelve eggs shortly before my December visit. 
I climbed to it, which was placed 25 feet from the ground in a large 
date tree (eucalyptus) in a hollow branch. The nest was about six feet 
below the entrance hole and was largely lined with down. The tree was 
half a mile from the Lake edge and grew on the edge of a crop of wheat. 
Nov. 4, 1902. Noted small young with the parent birds on the Vass River, 
where they are not uncommon on the lower tidal part.” 
Mr. E. J. Christian records from Victoria : “ Why this bird is called 
‘ Mountain Duck ’ I don’t know, as its home is on the plains of the Western 
District, and is also found from July to October up here and I have always 
found it in the centre of the open plain. The drake is a large bird and is 
generally attended by four or five ducks. They are often seen right away 
from water and are fairly tame. Last year (1907) when the grasshoppers were 
bad, I used to approach these birds on horseback and could see them eating 
them as fast as they could. They also did good work when the caterpillar 
pest came. They build in a hollow in a high gum-tree.” Later he added : 
“ Oct. 5, 1909. I noticed first drake since last autumn, but whether they are 
migratory or not I cannot say.” 
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