5 08 JO URNAL, BOMB A Y NA TURA L IIISTOR Y SOCIETY, Vol. XII. 



(653) A. BEACH YRHYNCHUS. — The Pink-footod Goose. 

 Hume, No. 940 ; Blanford, No. 1582. 

 Extromely rare. 



(654) A. iNDicus. — The Barred-headed Goose. 

 Hume, No. 949 ; Blanford, No. 1583. 

 The Barred-headed Goose seems to be more common in Cachar and 

 Sylhefc than I imagined when writing of that species in my article on 

 Indian Ducks. Some years they are doubtless to be found in consider- 

 able numbers, though never in the countless flocks to be found in their 

 favourite haunts. 



Sub-Family Anatin^. 

 (655) Sakcidiornis melanonotus. — The Comb Duck. 

 Hume, No. 950 ; Blanford, No. 1584. 

 (1)56) AsARCORNis SCUTULATUS. — The White-winged Wood-Duck. 

 Hum£, No. 955 j Blanford, No. 1585. 



There is, I think, little doubt that the Wood-Duck grows a comb 

 during the breeding season, so that the main, almost the only reason for 

 sep.irating the two species, the Comb Duck and Wood-Duck, into 

 separate genera is done away with. The late Mr. M. G. Peddie, a 

 most keen and careful observer and a fair ornithologist, wrote to me 

 saying that he had had several opportunities of observing the Wood- 

 Duck in the north of N. Cachar. From inquiries made be asceiiained 

 that two or three pairs frequented a small stream which runs into the 

 Diyung ; he accordingly visited the spot and soon came on a pair ; he 

 had a shot at them with his collector's gun, but the tiny weapon was of 

 no use on such powerful birds. He, however, noticed most distinctly 

 that the drake had a large comb, and this he thought was not much 

 inferior in size to that of the Comb Duck. He again twice saw a pair 

 and each time saw the comb on the male quite plainly. Again, talking 

 to Mr. Scott about the bird he had seen, he said that the most notice- 

 able thing about the bird was a huge knob on the bill. He has again 

 seen either this bird or the pair to it, but noticed no knob. As this 

 latter time the bird was seen in November, the comb would have 

 naturally disappeared again. 



