50 BULLETIN 186, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



CASARCA FERRUGINEA (Pallas) 



Ruddy Sheldrake 



Anas (ferruginea) Pallas, in Vroeg's Beredeneerde catalogus, Adurubratiun- 

 culae, 1764, pp. 5-6 (no locality given=Tartary, ex 'Tartarysche Gans" 

 and "Anser Tataricus ferrugineus" in Catalogus, p. 25). 



Casarca ferruginea, Deignan, Journ. Siani Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1936, p. 132 

 ("Opposite the village of Ban En"). 



A ruddy sheldrake was seen by me, December 23, 1935, on a lagoon 

 just behind the left bank of the Mae Ping, opposite Ban Aen, a 

 village between Chom Thong and Mut Ka. The bird flew out onto 

 an enormous expanse of exposed sand and could not be approached 

 within gunshot. 



This species normally occurs on broad streams with wide stretches 

 of sand and may be expected to be found sooner or later along any 

 of the major northern rivers. 



The sheldrake is about the size of the comb duck. The male has 

 the top of the head buff; the neck, back, scapulars, and entire under- 

 pays bright orange-brown; the tail and upper tail coverts black; 

 the speculum of the wing glossy purplish green; a large white area 

 at the shoulder, above and below, and the remainder of the wing 

 black. The female is similar, but has the head and neck paler, almost 

 buffy white. 



ANAS POECILORHYNCHA HARINGTONI (Oates) 



Burmese Spot-billed Duck 



Polionetta haringtoni Oates, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. 17, No. 3, 1907, 



pp. 558-559 (Shan States). 

 Anas poeoilorhyncha haringtoni, Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 



1936, p. 169 (Mae Chai). 



The spotbill is thus far known only from Chiang Kai Province, 

 where it seems to be rather common during the cold weather and 

 quite possibly throughout the year. I saw at least 50 on the marsh 

 at Mae Chai, May 9 and 10, 1936; a specimen was taken at Chiang 

 Saen Kao, January 17, 1937, another at Ban Mae Sai, January 20, 

 and numerous others were observed at the two latter localities. 



This duck occurred in small flocks upon open pools surrounded 

 by tall rushes. It was very wild and, owing to the noise made in 

 breaking through the stiff vegetation, one could only with great diffi- 

 culty approach within gunshot range of it. It behaved exactly like 

 a mallard and uttered the same loud quack when startled. 



The bill is black with a broad band of orange-yellow just behind 

 the tip ; the feet are coral-red. The red spot at the base of the bill 



