Part 72

WANDERING TREE DUCK.

Anas arcuata Horsfield, Zool. Res. in Java (1822), pl. 65. Dendrocygna arcuata Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 153; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 158. Dendrocygna arcuata Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 214; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 37.

Ba-li'-uis, Luzon; ná-ga, Ticao; ga-kit', Bohol.

Bantanyan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp., McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Cuming, Worcester, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Clarke MS.) ; Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Jagor, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Ticao (McGregor). Indo-Malayan Islands, Moluccas, Celebes, New Guinea, Australia, Oceania.

"Adult male and female.--Upper part of head and a line down back of neck brown-black; sides of head and neck pale fulvous; throat almost white; back and scapulars black, with the edges bright rufous-chestnut, on upper back the black part of the feathers with rufous spots or bars; rump black; median upper tail-coverts black, lateral ones buffy white, more or less spotted with black; breast pale rufous, each feather with black dots or crescent-like spots in the middle, and shading into the bright rufous-chestnut of abdomen; lower abdomen and under tail-coverts whitish buff, the latter uniform, but the abdomen with brown spots; feathers of flanks with broad mesial buffy white streaks, edged with black; lesser and median wing-coverts bright chestnut, the greater ones, quills, and tail black. Iris brown; bill blackish or dark ashy; tarsi and feet dark ashy. Length, about 432; wing, 216; tail, 71; culmen, 43; tarsus, 47." (Salvadori.)

A male from Sevilla, Bohol, March 22, 1906, measures: Length, 424; wing, 188; tail, 56; exposed culmen, 41; tarsus, 45; middle toe with claw, 71.

A female of the same locality and date measures: Length, 424; wing, 175; tail, 58; exposed culmen, 42; tarsus, 46; middle toe with claw, 66.

A young bird from Taguig, Laguna de Bay, January 12, 1902, (length of skin 305 mm.) has upper parts covered with dark gray down and lower parts covered with white down; on crown, scapulars, breast, sides, and flanks the feathers of the adult dress are more or less developed.

"The eggs of the wandering tree duck in the collection are almost elliptical in shape, one end being very slightly compressed. They are cream-colored and have a fair amount of gloss. Four specimens measure respectively: 52 by 38; 48.2 by 35.5; 47.4 by 38; 48.2 by 36.3." (Oates.)

"Common in favorable localities throughout the islands. Frequently met with in very large flocks. Found breeding in the Island of Siquijor in the month of February." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

This tree duck is usually found in large flocks on lakes and fresh-water marsh-land. When flushed the flock circles about and generally the birds can be killed without the precautions which are usually necessary in duck-shooting. A hard-shelled egg was taken from a bird killed on the Laguna de Bay in January. Oates records two eggs collected by Moseley in May.

156. DENDROCYGNA GUTTULATA Wallace.

SPOTTED TREE DUCK.

Dendrocygna guttulata Wallace, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1863), 36; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 215; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 37. Dendrocygna guttata Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 164, pl. 1.

Basilan (McGregor); Mindanao (Platen). Celebes, Moluccas, New Guinea, Tenimber Islands.

"Adult male and female.--Upper part of head dark brown; a black line along hind neck; back and wings dusky brown; feathers of back, scapulars, and wing-coverts edged with pale brown; lores brown; superciliary stripe, sides of head, and upper part of neck grayish, with dusky cross-lines, giving a mottled appearance; chin and throat uniform whitish; lower part of neck dusky with white spots; rump brown; upper tail-coverts black, basal ones broadly barred with white; upper breast rufous-brown, each feather with a white spot at the tip; lower breast and abdomen whitish, with faint dusky lines across; feathers of flanks with large, white, round spots, the longer feathers are almost barred with black; under tail-coverts whitish, with black bars; quills brown; tail almost black. 'Bill black; tarsi and feet ashy, more or less tinged with reddish; iris brown or chestnut.' (D'Albertis.) Length, about 432; wing, 215; tail, 74; culmen, 41; tarsus, 41.

"'Young.--Feathers of the flanks paler and with the white spots elongated and lanceolated.' (Schlegel.)" (Salvadori.)

A male from Basilan, December 26, 1906, measures: Length, 444; wing, 216; tail, 67; exposed culmen, 45; tarsus, 45; middle toe with claw, 71.

Of the earlier collectors Platen was the only one to secure this tree duck in the Philippines; more recently it has been taken in Basilan but it appears to be a rare species.

Genus ANAS Linnæus, 1758.

Bill of moderate length, the sides nearly parallel; wings long and pointed; a wide band of metallic color across the secondaries forming the speculum; tail pointed but not of great length.

157. ANAS LUZONICA Fraser.

PHILIPPINE MALLARD.

Anas luzonica Fraser, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1839), 113; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 205; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 216; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 37.

Du-ma-ras', Manila; da-mu-l'og, Ticao.

Catanduanes (Whitehead); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Cuming, Jagor, Heriot, Whitehead, McGregor, Worcester); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns and Worcester); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (McGregor); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Whitehead); Siquijor (Steere Exp.); Ticao (McGregor).

"Adult male and female.--General plumage brownish gray, almost uniform, without any dark markings in the center of the feathers; upper part of head and upper part of nape blackish brown; superciliary stripe, sides of head, throat, and sides of upper part of neck rufous; a blackish brown band runs across the eyes from lores to occiput; back dark gray, changing into brown on rump and upper tail-coverts; wing-speculum glossy green, bounded anteriorly by a velvety black band at the tip of greater wing-coverts and by a narrower white one at the tip of the last row of median upper wing-coverts; posteriorly the speculum is bounded by a velvety black, subapical band, and by a narrow, apical, white band; under wing-coverts and axillars white; under parts brownish gray, deepening into brown on under tail-coverts; tail brown; colors of the bill and feet not recorded, but apparently dark olive. Length, about 500; wing, 250; tail, 114; culmen, 51; tarsus, 43.

"Young.--Similar to the adults, only much paler on the head and throat, which are scarcely tinged with rufous; the speculum less bright, and with some purple reflections." (Salvadori.)