306 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



favourable years. I have no reason for doubting this information as it was 

 volunteered, and moreover these Mohannas know the Sindhi and English 

 names of every duck to be found there. It seems to me that the Marbled 

 Duck must now be regarded as a regular breeder in Sind and Baluchistan. 

 Pochard or Dun-bird {Nyroca ferina). — Shot a J in February 1917. 



Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force, F. LUDLOW, 



Mmj 1917. 



No. X.— THE WEIGHTS OF PINTAIL AND FANTAIL SNIPE. 



Since writing to you on 18th January 1915 on the subject of the com- 

 parative weights of Pintail and Fantail Snipe, I have now compiled the 

 figures for the past three seasons in this neighbourhood, and submit them, 

 as I think they may be of some interest. I shall be glad to hear if others 

 have carried out similar experiments, and to compare their results with 

 mine. 

 Season : September 1914 — March 1915. 



The average weight of 375 Pintails was 3'90oz. while that of 151 Fantails 

 was 3" 25 oz. 

 Season: October 19l5--A2ml 1916. 



The average weight of 998 Pintails was 3-81 oz. while that of 84 Fantail 

 was 3'51 oz. 

 Season: September 1916 — March 1917. 



The average weight of 974 Pintails was 4'07 oz. while that of 63 Fantails 

 was 3"48 oz. 



Very occasionally a big Fantail would be found, and 1 have a note of one 

 weighing 5^ oz., shot on 20th February 1916 and one of 5 oz. shot on 11th 

 March 1917. 



The above appears to be conclusive that in Southern India at any rate 

 the Fantail Snipe is decidedly the lighter bird. 



Jack Snipe have weighed from If to 2 oz. 



The past season has been somewhat remarkable for the fact that not a 

 single specimen of Jack Snipe was seen, either by my shikari or myself, 

 though I know of two having been shot by another sportsman. My 

 previous experience has been that they make about ] per cent, of the bag. 



Madura, S. India, R, F. STONEY. 



24th June 1917. 



No. XL— THE BRONZE-BACKED TREE SNAKE (DENDROLAPHL'^ 

 TRISTIS) IN CENTRAL INDIA. 



I send a snake. Is it not Dendrolaphis tristis? If so, Wall says: — ^Jour- 

 nal Vol. XIX, p. 786 — "It has not been recorded from Central India. 

 They are by no means uncommon in the teak forest here and are called by 

 the Bhils " Urni Saup," i.e., the flying snake. It is believed, as usual, to be 

 deadly. 



The Agency, Manpuk, C.I., C. E. LUARD, Major. 



4tk May 1917. 



[ The snake sent by Major Luard proved to be Dendrolaphis ^m^^s.— Eds.] 



No. XII.— THE BRONZE-BACKED TREE SNAKE {DENDROLAPHIS 

 TRISTIS) IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCES. 



In Vol. XX, p. 857, Mr. Bernard Cooke records the occurrence of this snake 

 at Dhaura, which is about t.vo miles beyond the boundary of these Provin- 

 ces, and the other day I secured one at Nagpur ; it being the first I have 

 seen during the last six years. The great gap in its distribution in Central 



