on Dr. Jerdon's ' Birth of India.' 175 



colouring, and voice — an obvious fact he only mentions subse- 

 quently (p. 784), and then solely on my authority. The only 

 wild Geese that visit Lower Bengal are A. cinerev^ and A. indi- 

 cus, which are brought in about equal numbers to the Calcutta 

 bazar. 



950. Sarcidiornis melanonotus (Gmel.); Penn. Ind. Zool. 

 pi. xiii.; Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pi. 285. 



The young of this species, in its first feathers, is very like a 

 DendTOcygna ; and this indicates the true affinity of the genus. 

 The rosti'al protuberance of the male becomes immensely more 

 developed during the breeding-season. Signor Antinori recog- 

 nizes S. africana, Eytou, as distinct, but gives S. melanonotus, 

 auct., as a doubtful synonym — " SarkidiorncB regicR similis, sed 

 caruncula rostri basi incumbente, et turgidiore," the South 

 American Anas regia of Molina being referred to, and the sup- 

 posed distinction being, I suspect, merely seasonal. 



951. Nettapus coromandelianus. 



The black collar round the neck of the male is peculiar to the 

 breeding-season. The published figures of the species of this 

 group, representing them as standing on the ground like ordi- 

 nary Ducks, are erroneous. They squat, creep, and are only 

 able to shuffle forward a few paces. The '' Cotton Teal " is 

 brought in tolerable abundance to the Calcutta bazar. 



952. Dendrocygna arcuata {Jj.)-j D.javanica,Yiox'&L {partim). 

 Common in Malacca, Java, and Borneo (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 224) . 



It is distinct from D. vagans, Eyton, D. gouldi, Bp. [of. Ibis, 

 1865, p. 38), of the Philippines, Java, and North Australia. 



953. Dendrocygna major inhabits also Madagascar (P. Z. S. 

 1864, p. 300). This species is assuredly much less common 

 than the former in Lower Bengal, where many dozens of D. ar- 

 cuata may be obtained to one of the otlier. These birds build 

 in trees, and fly round and round their favourite pond like a flock 

 of Pigeons, allowing themselves to be shot at again and again 

 as they wheel round. They are very easily tamed. This Asiatic 

 form of Dendrocygna has a very decided American representa- 

 tive in D. fulva (Baird's ' Birds of North America,^ pi. 63. f. 1). 



