ICC NATURAL HISTORY. 



established on a rocky estuary, having always associated this bird, 

 in my own mind, with grass and fresh-water. I have not found the 

 Larger Whistling-teal here at all. 



The " Brahminy " Duck is not common, and is even excluded from 

 the Tanna District by the Bombay Gazetteer. 



I have however once seen a pair in Bombay Harbour. Its 

 relative, the true Shieldrake, has not yet been reported, I think, from 

 the Konkan. We have the Shoveller, which is here a wild bird of 

 respectable habits, and accordingly fit for the table. The European 

 Mallard is unknown ; and its representative, the Spot-billed Duck, is 

 not very common, nor, as far as my observation goes, a permanent 

 resident. It is however extremely likely that when the Tansa Lake 

 is filled, this and several other Indian Ducks will breed there. 

 I hope that the Engineers will provide that lake with an islai d or 

 two ; and that the Municipality will make it a sanctuary as 

 regards birds. The shooting about Bombay would certainly bo 

 much improved by such a course, as Ducks like to make a large 

 sheet of water their head-quarters, but will forage every day 

 at considerable distances from home. The Gadwall occurs 

 in the cold-weather, not in great numbers ; and the same 

 is the case with the Pin- tailed Duck and Widgeon. The Common 

 and Blue-winged Teal occur pretty frequently, especially the latter. 

 The Red-crested and Red-headed Pochards are rare ; but the 

 White-eyed Pochard is the most plentiful Duck on the coast and on 

 creeks and tanks near the sea. I have not myself shot the Black-and- 

 white-tufted Pochard here ; but I believe that I have seen it on tho 

 creeks, which are well suited to it. 



Taking them altogether, the waters of the Konkan do not furnish 

 good Duck-shootirg. The birds mostly spend the day in the middle 

 of the creeks, or on islands, or on the muddy and narrow margin 

 between the water and the mangroves, where they are pretty safe that 

 nothing can see or get at them from the shore-side at all, and 

 nothing can surprise them from the water-side. 



The deadliest way of killing them, no doubt, is to find out a feeding- 

 ground in the salt marshes and lie in ambush (" flight-shooting," in 

 short). But the pleasantest way of shooting on a creek is to take 

 a boat or canoe capable of towing a small dinghy with one man in it, 

 and run up or down the creek under easy sail and with the tide. 

 The gunner is best placed in the bow of the boat, unless the sails be 

 such as to interfero with him there. One man stands to each sail, 



