MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



As yet no Stints {Tringa) have put in an appearance. 



This morning a small party of Garganey Teal {Q. circia) flew over my head; 

 they had come from the east, and went away westwards. Last year the first 

 arrivals were only noticed on the 6th of September, twelve days later than 

 this year's. 



CHAS. M. INGLIS. 



Madhubani, 2bth August, 1899. 



No. XIX.— NOTE ON THE WHITE-EYED DUCK ^NYROCA 

 FERRUGJNEA) AND THE T UFTED DUCK {N. FULIGULA). 

 On reading an article by Mr. F. Finn, of the Indian Museum, entitled 

 " On a third invasion of India by Baer's Pochard (Nyroca baeri),'" published 

 in the P. A. S. B. for April, 1898, in which he mentions brown as being the 

 usual colour in the iris of the females of that species, I examined the labels 

 of the few female skins I possess of N.ferruginea, and fii:d that I have 

 noted the irides of that species (females) as being dark grey, dark purplish- 

 grey and brown, with one exception, in which it was white. Blanford in 

 Vol. IV, Birds (Fauna of British India series), makes no mention of the iris 

 in the female, whether adult or young, being else than white, 



Nyroca fuligula. — On the 17th Farch a duck of this species was brought 

 me along with some other ducks. It had a fair-sized spot of pure white on 

 the throat, otherwise it was as described by Blanford. I may remark that 

 out of over 100 ducks, not including teal, brought me last cold weather, this 

 was the sole specimen of this species procured. 



I add a list of the duck and teal brought me last cold weather, all snared 

 on one jheel in the west of the sub-division :— 



Gadwall (C. streperus) 50 



Common Teal (iV^. crecca) 48 



W ige on (JI. penelope) ... ... g 



Pintail (D. acuta) 25 



Garganey Teal ((). drcm) ... 100 



Shovellers (S. chjpeata') ... 10 



Red-crested Pochards {N. rufina') 7 



White-eyes (N.ferruginea) 10 



Tufted Duck (A^. /M%2<?a) ... 1 



CHAS. M. INGLIS. 

 Madhubani, August, 1899, 



No. XX.— A PLAGUE OF WEB-MAKING CATERPILLARS ON 



THE "SILANG'' TREE [OLEA FRAGRANS). 



Some four or five years ago a horde of white Moths (two of which I am 



sending to you for identification) came here, and seemingly laid their eggs on 



the above mentioned trees — and apparently no others, though the Silangs are 



