ANAS SUPERCILIOSA, Ge.
Australian Wild Duck.

Anas superciliosa, Gmel. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 537.—Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 852.—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. x. p. 327.—
Eyton, Mon. Anat., p. 139.—Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xii. p. 108.—List of Birds in
Brit. Mince Coll Ranta thy oe tao

leucophrys, Forst. Drawings, No. 77.

Supercilious Duck, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. vi. p. 497.

 

Gwoom-nan-na, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.
Black Duck, Colonists of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land.
Fe-turrera, Aborigines of New Zealand.

Grey Duck, Colonists of Swan River.

 

Tus species may be considered as the Australian representative of the Common Wild Duck (Anas Boschas)
of Europe. It enjoys a wide range of habitat, all the southern portion of the continent, Van Diemen’s
Land, and the islands in Bass’s Straits being alike favoured with its presence; it also inhabits New
Zealand ; at least specimens from thence offer so slight a variation that I cannot consider them to be other-
wise than identical.

In habits, manners and general economy, the European and Australian species approximate most closely ;
their flesh is similar in flavour, and the one is as highly esteemed and as much sought after for the table in
Australia as the other is in Europe: as regards external appearance, however, no comparison can be made
between the two birds; for while the male of the das Boschas during the greater part of the year is remark-
able for the beauty of his plumage, the Anas superciliosa, being subject to no periodical change, is always
clothed in the sombre-coloured dress represented in the Plate; neither do the sexes offer any difference
of colour by which the one may be distinguished from the other. Arms of the sea, rivers with sedgy banks,
lagoons and water-holes are its favourite places of resort. I encountered it often and under every variety of
circumstance, sometimes in flocks, at others either singly or in pairs, and not unfrequently in company with
other species. It abounds on all the rivers of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land. The tameness
or wariness of its disposition depends much upon whether the locality in which it is observed has or has
not been frequented by man; in some of the rivers in Recherche Bay in Van Diemen’s Land and others
in the interior of the continent of Australia, which are rarely visited, it evinced much less shyness than
when observed on the waters of the populated districts. It is everywhere either a stationary species or
subject to very partial migrations. In the choice of a breeding-place it appears to be influenced by cireum-
stances, sometimes depositing its eggs among long grass and sedges, and not unfrequently resorting to
hollow spouts and boles of trees for the same purpose. TI possess a fine nest of nine eges, which was taken
in September from the hollow part of a tree at Moore’s River in Western Australia; they are of a dark
cream-colour, two inches and a quarter long by one inch and five-eighths broad.

Head very dark brown ; a narrow line above the eye, a broad stripe from the bill beneath the eye, and
the throat buff; sides of the neck striated with buff and dark brown; all the upper surface, wings and tail
rich brown, the feathers narrowly margined with buffy brown ; tips of the greater wing-coverts velvety
black ; speculum rich deep glossy green, bounded posteriorly with velvety black ; under surface brown,
each feather edged with pale brownish white; bill light bluish lead-colour ; irides bright hazel ; legs

yellowish brown with darker webs.
The Plate represents an adult bird of the natural size.