INDIAN DUCKS AND THEIR ALLIES. 251 



shooting at a village called ' Onikhet.' Walking down a hand which 

 was over-grown with rank grass, I almost put my foot on an Oceanic 

 Teal, which fluttered away in front of me, trailing its wings and feigning 

 lameness. Of course I thought I had got a nest at last, but a rippling 

 movement in the grass in different directions showed me that it was 

 a brood of young ones that I had come across. I instituted a most 

 careful search, but only came upon one youngster which I caught. 

 All this time the duck was flying round and round within twenty yards, 

 uttering a low double quack. The drake also appeared on the scene, 

 but kept further off and was silent." 



Davison writing of the Andaman Teal says : "It appears to frequent 

 alike both fresh and salt water. During the day it either perches 

 among the mangroves, or settles down on some shady spot on the 

 banks of a stream, when wounded it does not attempt at first to dive, 

 but when hard pressed it dives, but does not remain long under water, 

 and appears soon to get exhausted. It feeds by night in the fresh- 

 water ponds, and I was informed that it is to be seen during the rains 

 in small flocks in the paddy fields about Aberdeen in the mornings and 

 evenings. Sometimes, in going up the creeks, a pair will slip off the 

 bank, into the water, and keep swimming about twenty yards ahead of 

 the boat, only rising when hard pressed, but they are more wary when in 

 flocks. I could learn nothing about the breeding of this species. The 

 only note I have heard them utter is a low whistle, and this apparently 

 only at night when they are feeding." 



The only note on the nidification of the Andaman Teal that I can find 

 is the one in " Nests and Eggs " quoted in all other works. It is : — 



" Very little is yet known of the breeding of this species. I have 

 only one note of its nidification and one egg, both of which I owe to 

 Capt. Wimberly." 



'' The nest was found in August : it was composed of grass, and was 

 placed in a paddy field near Port Monatt, the only locality with which 

 we are yet acquainted in the group, where this species is always to be 

 met with." 



" The egg is typical, a very perfect broad oval in shape, with a very 

 close-grained, smooth, shell, devoid of gloss, and of an uniform delicate 

 cream colour." 



" It measures l-9o" by 1-43"." 



