MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 573 



3. Cotton Teal (Nettapus coram andelianus). This is said to be rare in the 

 western part of the empire, but I have found it in fair numbers in the 

 Dohad district, Panch Mahals. 



4. Sheldrake {Tadorna cornutd). I have seen this bird once in Central 

 India, on a tank about 40 miles south of Neemuch, in the cold weather of 

 1891-92. Two were walking about on the shore at the edge of the tank, 

 which is a very large one, and one was on the water. I was unable to get a 

 shot, but I examined the birds carefully with a field glass, and I do not 

 think there can be any mistake. I could distinguish a large duck, about the 

 size of a Brahminy, with a bright red bill and face (they were looking to- 

 wards me), colours chiefly black or dark brown and white, the bird standing 

 much more like a goose than an ordinary duck. The red knob at the base of 

 the bill would account for the appearance of the face. 



E. H. YOUNG. 

 RUTLAM, 2ist February, 1899. 



No. IV.— THE COURTING DANCE OF THE :\IOONAL PHEASANT. 

 When shooting in the Himalayas this April I noticed early one morning, 

 while sitting behind a tree, a pair of Moonal pheasants feeding a short dis- 

 tance from me, on a flat terrace on the open hill side. They were so close 

 that i was able to see their every movement distinctly. After being busily 

 engaged some time in their usual digging operations, the hen bird stopped 

 work, and uttered her call note several times, upon which the cock, who was 

 at the time some little distance away, ran up to her with his wings raised high 

 above the back, tail spread, and neck and body feathers distended. He then 

 moved quickly to and fro for a few seconds in front of the hen who stood 

 quietly looking on at his performance ; he then abruptly closed his wings and 

 tail, turned about and ran back to his feeding ground while the hen went on 

 with her breakfast. As the early morning sun was shining on the birds, the 

 sudden appearance of the cock in the above performance, was most splendid 

 to look upon ; the beautiful metallic hues of the wings and throat, with the 

 pure white of the back and chestnut coloured tail, spread like a fan behind, 

 shone out most gorgeously. But it is not for the mere pleasure given by the 

 exhibition, that I write this note, but to direct attention to the unusual 

 behaviour shown by the hen. As I believe in all courting displays among 

 birds of fine coloured plumage the hen takes a most passive part, and dees 

 not in any way call the performance up ; but the male birds themselves of 

 their own accord go through the ceremony of showing off their fine feathers 

 in front of their lady loves. But in this case the lady love, by her calls, ap- 

 peared to have directly invited or encouraged the display, as the lover was 

 digging out his breakfast until he heard the call sounded. While on the 

 subject of Moonal pheasants, I should much like to ask any of the members 

 of the Society, who may have had opportunitiea of seeing many cock Moonals, 

 18 



