LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL. 131 



between oval and elliptical oval; and the shell is smooth, with very 

 little luster. The measurements of 71 eggs, given in Witherby's 

 Handbook (1920) average 07 by 47 millimeters; the eggs showing 

 the four extremes measure 72 by 49, 68.8 by 49.5, 61.6 by 45.6 and 

 65 by 45 millimeters. 



Young. — The period of incubation is said to be from 29 to 30 days. 

 Yarrell (1871) says: 



The male does not share the taak of incubation, but afterwards he is very assiduous 

 in liis attentions to the young. The female is said to carry the nestlings to the water. 



Plumages. — The same writer says on this subject: 



A nestling from the Volga, in the collection of Mr. E. Bidwell, is dull white on 

 the forehead, cheeks, and entire under parts; the crown of the head to the eye, nape, 

 and back, brown, with broad streaks of white on ?he inner side of each pinion and 

 on each side of the center of the rump. The young of the year are like the female, 

 but rather duller in color; the inner secondaries and scapulars are brown, marked 

 with rufous; and the wing coverts are grayish white. 



Food. — Morris (1903) says of the food of this species: 



They feed early in the morning, and again toward nightfall, in corn and stubble 

 fields, resorting thitiier from the marshes, which they otherwise inhabit. Their food, 

 water plants, water insects and their larvse, worms, and the roe and young fry of fish. 



Behavior. — Referring to its habits he v/rites: 



These birds assemble in flocks, except v/hen paired in the summer. They seem 

 not to associate with other species. They are difiicult to be tamed, but have been 

 kept for ornament, and have even been known to breed in confinement, on being 

 provided with burrows in the earth for the purpose. The male and female seem 

 much attached to each other. They are very shy and restless birds. 



Yarrell (1871) says: 



The call note, when uttered on the wing, is described by Pallas as resembling a 

 clarionetlike a-oung, whence the name of Aangir given to the bird by the Mongols, 

 who hold it sacred; and Ahngoot, by the natives of the vicinity of Lake Van, in 

 Armenia. According to a Hindoo legend, as given by Jerdon, the birds represent 

 two lovers talking to each other acrosa a stream at night — " Cliakwa, shall I come? 

 No, Chakwi. Chakwi, sliall I come? No, Chakwa." In confinement the note is a 

 sort of kape or ka, several times repeated. In its manner of walking this species 

 resembles a goose, and it feeds in a similiar manner, grazing in the fields of young 

 corn and picking up seeds of grass, grain, etc. In summer the birds go in pairs, but 

 at other times they are gregarious, and Jerdon says that on the Chilka Lake he has 

 seen thousands in one flock in April, 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — Mainly in southeastern Europe and central Asia 

 East to Manchm'ia and China. Soutli to the plateau of Tibet, Persia, 

 and rarely to Algeria and northern Morocco. West rarely to south- 

 ern Spain; more regularly to the Adriatic Sea. North to Roumania, 

 Bulgaria, Macedonia, southern Russia and Siberia, Lake Baikal, and 

 Mongolia. 



