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



region from Iceland to Japan. It breeds almost throughout the more 

 sorthern portions of this area, but very rarely to the East, not at alj 

 to the extreme East, and it winters throughout Southern Europe and 

 Asia and also in Northern Africa. Seobohm (" Birds of the Japanese 

 Empire ") says : " The Pochard occurs both in Yezzo and the more 

 southerly Japanese islands, but whether it be resident or only a 

 winter resident there soems to be no evidence to determiue." 



Nyroca ferina is separated by Salvadori from the American forms 

 to which the names americana and vallisneria are applied. Many orni- 

 thologists unite americana and ferina, and in this case the whole of 

 North America must be added to its habitat ; and, consequently, also its 

 breeding range would then become circumpolar with the exceptions 

 already noted. The American bird is larger, has more and clearer 

 blue on the bill, a purer white to the under-parts, and a purple glos s 

 on the head and neck. 



Finn in his popular article on ducks in the Asian thus defines its 

 Indian area : " It visits Northern India in large numbers ; further 

 South it is less common, but occurs as far as Bellary. It has not been 

 obtained in Mysore or further South, nor in Ceylon ; but it is not un- 

 common in Assam and Manipur, and has recently been recorded from 

 the neighbourhood of Mantlalay." 



It is probable that it visits North Burma and the independent 

 Burmese States in considerable numbers, for it is common in Manipur, 

 whence a large proportion migrates towards Burma, and not through 

 Caohar and Sylhct. 



I have had it now reported to mo from Mysore, where, however, it 

 would only appear to be met with on very rare occasions. Hume 

 notes that it has not been recorded from Cachar or Sylhet, but it is 

 fairly common in both districts. 



From Kashmir it has also been recorded as forming an item in a 

 large bag made by three guns in that State, and again in the Asian 

 of the 8th of February, 1898, two Dun-birds are said to have formed 

 part of a bag of 508 duck and teal shot by A. E. W. in the same 

 State. 



The Pochard is one of the later ducks to arrive in India. In its 

 northern limits it is scon first in the latter half of October, but it does 

 not, I think, extend South until well on into November. In Bengal 



