. A natural history of the ducks . rs Creek, etc., but not north of the StonyDesert (Sturt, fide Mathews 1914-15). It is of rare occurrence on the southern coast, and ingeneral it is more abundant in the interior than along the sea. Mr. Edwin Ashby writes me thatthe species does not now visit South Australia, though it is believed to have done so thirty yearsWest ag°> at least south on the Murray River to Moama. Mr. Ashby, himself, doubts the Australia validity of these early records. In West Australia, he says, it ranges farther south, atNorth Ieast as far as Perth. In North Territory he t
. A natural history of the ducks . rs Creek, etc., but not north of the StonyDesert (Sturt, fide Mathews 1914-15). It is of rare occurrence on the southern coast, and ingeneral it is more abundant in the interior than along the sea. Mr. Edwin Ashby writes me thatthe species does not now visit South Australia, though it is believed to have done so thirty yearsWest ag°> at least south on the Murray River to Moama. Mr. Ashby, himself, doubts the Australia validity of these early records. In West Australia, he says, it ranges farther south, atNorth Ieast as far as Perth. In North Territory he thinks it is far more numerous on interior ™ water-holes and lagoons, than on the coast. GENERAL HABITS The strongholds of Eytons Tree Duck are the rivers and swamps of northern andnorthwestern Australia. According to Stokes (Gould, 1865) it is not to be met on theupper waters of rivers, nor near their mouths. He also states that he never found itin swamps, but many observers since his time speak of swamps as its habitat. In the. Map 19. Distribution of Eytons Tree Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)Sporadic records are indicated by crosses (X) EYTONS TREE DUCK 179 breeding season the birds retire to the well-grassed country, and usually some dis-tance from the water (North, 1913). In general this species is found in the samelocalities as the Wandering Tree Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata).. and is similar in itshabits. Wariness. Even the early travelers speak of these birds as being very wary, acharacteristic that is at variance with the habits of other Tree Ducks (Stokes inGould, 1865; Sturt in Mathews, 1914-15; Leichhardt, Journ. Overl. Exp. Austr., 1847). Daily Movements. This species is nocturnal and crepuscular in its habits,and in this respect resembles its congeners. Keartland (North, 1898), in northwestAustralia, often disturbed flocks numbering thousands, feeding at night in the drygrass. Toward morning these flocks returned to the water, and after a short bathrepaired to the shelt
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