duck

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

n.


the well-known English name of thebirds of the Anatinae, Fuligulinae, and other series,of which there are about 125 species comprised in about 40 genera.The Australian genera and species are – – – Blue-billed Duck – – Erismatura australis, Gould.

♣ Freckled D. – – Stictonetta naevosa, Gould.

♣ Mountain D. (the Shel-drake, q.v.).

♣ Musk D. (q.v.) – – Biziura lobata, Shaw.

♣ Pink-eared D., or Widgeon (q.v.) – – Malacorhynchus membranaceus, Lath.

♣ Plumed Whistling D. – – Dendrocygna eytoni, Gould.

♣ Whistling D. – – D. vagans, Eyton. [Each species of the Dendrocygna called also by sportsmen Tree-duck.]

♣ White-eyed D., or Hard-head (q.v.) – – Nyroca australis, Gould.

♣ Wild D. – – Anas superciliosa, Gmel.

♣ Wood D. (the Maned Goose; see Goose).

The following is a table of the ducks as compiled by Gould nearlyfifty years ago.

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. vii:

Plate

Anas superciliosa, Gmel. Australian Wild Duck . . . 9

Anas naevosa, Gould, Freckled Duck . . . 10

Anas punctata, Cuv. Chestnut-breasted Duck . . . 11

Spatula Rhyncotis, Australian Shoveller . . . 12

Malacorhynchus membranaceus, . . . 13

Membranaceous Duck Dendrocygna arcuata,

Whistling Duck (q.v.) . . . 14

Leptolarsis Eytoni, Gould, Eyton's Duck . . . 15

Nyroca Australis, Gould, White-eyed Duck . . . 16

Erismatura Australis, Blue-billed Duck . . . 17

Biziura lobata, Musk Duck . . . 18

The following is Professor Parker's statement of the New Zealand Ducks.

1889. Prof. Parker, `Catalogue of New Zealand Exhibition,'p. 117:

«There are eleven species of Native Ducks belonging to ninegenera, all found elsewhere, except two – – the little FlightlessDuck of the Auckland Islands (genus Nesonetta) and theBlue Mountain Duck ( Hymenolaemus). Among the mostinteresting of the non-endemic forms, are the Paradise Duck orSheldrake ( Casarca variegata), the Brown Duck ( Anaschlorotis), the Shoveller or Spoonbill Duck ( Rhynchaspisvariegata), and the Scaup or Black Teal ( FuligulaNovae-Zealandiae).»

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

← duboisine   ×   duckbill →

Related Words