| OCR Text |
Show 1880.] SPECIES OF ANATID.E. 535 northern Ducks and Geese which are found in various parts of the Indian peninsula in the cold weather. IV. AUSTRALIAN ANATIDAE. As we advance further south the Anatida? commence to increase again. Instead of only 12 native species, we find the number running up to 29. The greater number of them are Australian, that great continent, although so dry and arid, being well supplied with water-fowl, as will be seen by the subjoined list. List of Australian Anatidae. Anseranas melanoleuca. Cereopsis novce-hollandice. Bernicla jubata. Nettopus albipennis. pulchellus. Cygnus atratus. Dendrocycna vagans. eytoni. Tadorna radjah. Tadorna tadornoides. Stictonetta ncevosa. Anas superciliosa. castanea. gibberifrons. Spatula rhynchotis. Malacorhynchus membranaceus. Fuligula australis. Biziura lobata. Erismatura australis. Among these there are no less than 5 generic monotypic types peculiar to the Australian Region-namely, Anseranas, Cereopsis, Stictonetta, Malacorhynchas, and Biziura. Proceeding to the outlying parts of the Australian Region, we find New Zealand also well provided with Anatidae. Dr. Buller comprehends the following 9 species in his excellent work :- Dendrocycna eytoni. *Spatula variegata. Fuligula australis. * novce-zealandice. *Hymenolcemus malacorhynchus. *Tadorna variegata. Anas superciliosa. * chlorotis. gibberifrons. Of these, however, Anas gibberifrons and Dendrocycna eytoni are only occasional visitants, and Anas superciliosa and Fuligula australis are likewise Australian. The remaining five (marked *) are peculiar to the island, and Hymenolcemus is a generic type not known elsewhere. The adjacent Auckland Islands are tenanted by two very peculiar Ducks quite unknown elsewhere, namely, Nesonetta aucklandica and Mergus australis. In Polynesia Anatidae are scarce, Dendrocycna vagans and Anas superciliosa being the only species known until we come to the Fanning group, where Chaulelasmus couesi has lately been discovered. In the Sandwich Islands two peculiar species occur, Bernicla sandvicensis and Anas wyvilliana. |
