260 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XII. 



swiuiining awjiy, so that I was able to kill one on the water and the other 

 as it rose, from where I stood. Of course birds that have been shot at a 

 bit go clean away at the first alarm. On these creeks they associate 

 with the Common AVhistling Teal, and 1 have watched the two species 

 in close company on the water, though the Oceanic Teal separate from 

 the others when put up. The only thing I noticed about them, which 

 I do not think has been recorded, is that they have a ' quacking ' 

 note as well as a low whistle. One day a party of eight or ten, at 

 ■which some shots had been fired, after wheeling round and round for 

 some time, pitched on a narrow channel, within thirty yards of me, as 

 I stood concealed in the bushes on the bank. I watched them for 

 some minutes, when another pair, frightened by some distant shots 

 came scurrying over ; the birds on the water all twisted their heads 

 up and set up a loud, rapid quacking call note which they kept up 

 for some minutes. The new comers circled round several times, but 

 probably seeing the top of my topee, concluded not to join their 

 companions in their fancied security. The flight of this teal is fairly fast. 

 Occasionally, when they have been kept on the wing for some time 

 a ])arty will stoop down to the surface of a creek as if they meant to 

 pitch, and then change their minds and rise again. When exercising 

 this manoeuvre they fly past at a tremendous pace. The white wing 

 bar, in this species, is most conspicuous when the bird is on the wing." 



'* Winged birds promptly swim for the nearest cover, into which 

 thoy scuttle off" at a great pace and are generally lost without a dog. 

 One I shot swam steadily along in front of a Pathan convict, who 

 was swimming after it, in the capacity of a retrievfir, and though 

 hard pressed made no attempt to dive until it reached the bank, where 

 it was caught. One of the officers stationed here li'^^ a live bird in 

 ca))tivity which was pinioned by a shot some months ago. It thrives 

 well on paddy, but has not become very tame. It spends most of the day 

 asleep with its head resting in the plumage of the back. The local 

 sportsmen have christened thom Gibberi«s." 



*' Thoy are rather difficult birds to skin, being very fat, and having, 

 for a duck, rather a tender skin. They seem to average about 15 oz. 

 in weight." 



To this note Mr. Butler adds the following information which he 

 has kindly sent mo in a lottor : '' On December the 2nd I was snipe- 



