288 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



of the Deccan, and occurs in a few localities in Ratnagiri. In places . 

 where they are not much interfered with, they are very hold and 

 confiding, allowing one to approach quite closely ; hut in the vicinity 

 of garrison towns they are much more wary, keeping well out of range 

 in the centre of the jheel or else hiding themselves amongst the 

 rushes and lotus leaves on the borders. 



They breed during the rains in holes in mango or other soft- 

 wooded trees ; occasionally in holes in old wells and buildings ; more 

 rarely still amongst patches of reeds or rushes. 



The eggs are often laid without any attempt at making a nest, 

 but usually there is more or less of a lining, consisting of fine grass and 

 feathers, and occasionally a well-made nest is met with. When 

 the nest is built amongst rushes, it is semi-floating, and is more care- 

 fully made. 



The eggs, eight to twelve or fifteen in number, are very large for 

 the size of the bird, averaging fully 1*7 inches in length by 1*3 in 

 breadth, they are oval in shape and are of a delicate ivory white 

 colour, but are not so glossy as those of the Nuktah, nor so liable to 

 become discoloured. 



Baroda, September to October. U. Littkdale, B.A. 



952.— THE LESSER WHISTLING TEAL. 



Dendrocygna javanica, Hors. 



The Lesser Whistling Teal or Wood-duck is a common permanent 

 resident in Sind, and is far from uncommon in Central India and 

 Rajputana, but in the Deccan it appears to be a somewhat rare 

 winter visitor. They breed from about the middle up to the end of 

 the rains. The nest is sometimes placed amongst the sedges, rushes, 

 &c, along the borders of the j heels, which at this season are generally 

 large sheets of water ; just as often they occupy old Crow, Kite, or 

 Heron's nests, and less frequently build a crow-like nest themselves 

 amongst the branches of a tree, at from six to ten feet above the 

 ground, generally in the vicinity of water. 



The materials of which the nest is composed, consist of thin sticks 

 and twigs, lined with grass and feathers. The eggs, eight to 

 fourteen in number, are usually broad ovals, compressed a very 



