INDIAN DUCKS AND THEIR ALLIES. 239 



in dry seasons the water recedes and much jhil vegetation, which, 

 under ordinary circumstances would be in a few feet of water, is 

 within a few inches of the top and well within grasp of the teal as 

 it feeds with only its tail-end out of water. They are of course 

 strong and expert divers, but do not feed, 1 think, on any stuff which 

 necessitates their going completely under water. Of two birds shot 

 in Silohar the stomachs contained nothing but the white tendril-!ike 

 roots of a small water plant which grows profusely when the water 

 is only a few inches deep, and these the birds could obtain by 

 merely standing . ou their heads, as it were, in the water. They graze 

 a good deal like geese on young grass and also young crops, and in 

 addition to various other vegetable substances eat water-snails, worms, 

 insects and shell-fish of sorts, this more particularly near the sea coast, 

 where they are often found in brackish estuaries or back waters." 



Morris writes ; " This species feeds principally on water insects and 

 their larva?, small moilusca, wonns, the fry of fish, and frogs ; as also the 

 buls, shoots', and leaves of plants and grass ; and these it browses on in 

 the day time, but it chiefly seeks its food in the mornings and evenings, 

 and also at times in the night." 



All ducks it should be noted, whether as a rule day or night feeders, 

 are inclined to feed freely during moonlight nigiits, and this is perhaps 

 mora especially the case with such as graze on grass an<l young crops. 

 I never myself obtained a single specimen in the Sunderbands, but have 

 often been assured that they are common there. Hume says that they 

 are as quick in rising as is the Gad wall. I should have given the palm 

 to the Gadwall for quickness in getting off the water, but once up, the 

 Wigeon is quite as fast in getting away. On the wing they are 

 C3rtainly not as fast ws either the Gargany or Common Teal, nor are 

 they as hard to bring down, for they arc less densely i)lumaged and can 

 carry far less lead. 



They vaiy very much in being wild or the reverse, but taking them 

 everywhere, in comparison with other ducks, they may be said to be 

 cute, wary birds, but falling short in this respect of many of their kind. 

 W^hat adds, too, to the ease in obtaining shots at th^m is their habit 

 of feeding almost throughout the day, their feeding taking 

 them much to the edges of the jhils and lakes where they 

 remain amongst the reods and vegetation. This, of course, hides the 



