210 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVI 11. 



tralia (lloplocephalus pseudechis) moves >'n pursuit or escape (the italics are 

 mine, F. W.) almost like leaps. The reptile rapidly extends itself to full length, 

 theu brings up its posterior portion in a loop, and so springs forward again." 



F. WALL, Major, i.m.s., c.m.z s. 

 Dibrdgarh, Assam, 23rd July 1907. 



} 



Pataira. 



No. XXVIII— VERNACULAR NAMES OF SOME INDIAN DUCKS. 



Mr. P. R. Cadell's note under the above title in our Journal (Vol. XVII, 

 p. 1028) prompts me to add the following local names in use about Fyzabad : — 



Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) £ Lai sir. 



Do. $ Maidi. 



Red-headed Pochard (Nyraca ferinu) ... ... Tilaira. 



White Eye Pochard (A yroca ferruginta) ... ... Boora. 



Pintail ( T)afiia acuta) ... ... ... ... Pashar. 



Gadwall (Chaulelasmus streperus) ... ... ... Myle. 



Shove ler {Spatula elypeata) ... ... ... ... Pan pan. 



Brahminy duck (Casurcu rutda) , Chakwa Chakwee. 



Garganey {Qw.rquedula circia) 



Common teal (Nettim crecca) ... 



Cotton teal (Nettopus coromandelianus) ... ... Darra and Keeun 



Keeun. 

 These names were all applied to these ducks on Parbatty Jheel. My mallah 

 was a very knowledgeable man on the subject, and recognised each species 

 with great accuracy during flight, and when brought to bag. 



Some of these names did not tally with those in use on other Jheels, and 

 this would imply that the names in some cases are extremely local. I believe, 

 however, that this want of corroboration was more likely due to the incompe- 

 tency of many of the mallahs to recognise the species, many being too apathetic 

 to care, so long as the sahib got sport, and retrieved his cripples. 



My mallah did not discriminate between the garganey and the teal, and 

 seemed surprised when I pointed out the differences, which he accepted vith 

 doubt at first. 



F. WALL, Major, i.m.s., c.m.z.s. 

 Dibrdgarh, Assam, 23rd July 1907. 



No. XXIX.— FRESHWATER SHELLS. AN APPEAL. 

 Sir, — It is sincerely to be hoped that Mr. Dalgliesh's interesting paper, which 

 appears in this number, will encourage members, in all parts of the country, to 

 go to the very small trouble that i u required to send us along any freshwater 

 shell:* they may come across, and so enable us to make a sort of "Survey " of 

 them throughout India and its dependencies. This may seem at first si.ht a 

 somewhat unnecessary proposal, but the fact is that nearly all freshwater 

 shells are very widely distributed, and are also specially liable to considerable 

 variation, due no doubt to the extreme variety of conditions under which they 



