176 Mr. Blyth's Commentary 



955. Casarca scutulata (S. Miiller) ; Wolf, Zool. Sketches, 

 ii. pi. 



My designation of C leucoptera must yield to the one above 

 given. Two mostly white specimens in the British Museum 

 look very like a domesticated race of this species. 



958. Anas boschas occurs, as I have been assured, so near 

 Calcutta as at Ranigunge ; but I never knew of its being brought 

 to the Calcutta bazar. 



959. Anas poecilorhyncha is included in Mr. Swinhoe's 

 list of the birds of China (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 324) ; but he has 

 since considered the Chinese form to be distinct, and named 

 it A. zonorhyncJia (Ibis, 1866, p. 394). It is probably the A. 

 pceciloj'hyncha of the ' Fauna Japonica' (tab. Ixxxii.). An African 

 species, received with this name, I described as A. rueppelli 

 (J. A. S. B. xxiv. p. 265) ; but it is A. flavirostris, A. Smith ; 

 and A. leucostigma, E.iippell, is A. sparsa, A. Smith. 



965. QuERQUEDULA ciRCiA breeds sparingly, no doubt, in 

 India as well as in Burma and Tenasserim (Ibis, 1859, p. 464). 



Clangula glaucion was obtained by Sir. A. Burnes on the 

 Indus, and is figured among his drawings in the possession of 

 the Asiatic Society. It should therefore be added to the birds 

 of India. 



972. Mergus castor I have seen in the Calcutta bazar on 

 one occasion only, when two females were brought thither. 



973. Mebgellus albellus. 



The adult female has the loral region black : this is not usually 

 figured or described, as young females (similar in colouring to 

 young males) are mistaken for adults. It is remarkable that 

 this bird has constantly only a single minute ccecum, as in the 

 Herons ; whereas the true Mergansers have the usual two caeca 

 considerably more developed. 



978. Larus fuscus, Linn. 



Dr. Jerdon's notice of this species as an Indian bird conveys 

 the impression that he only obtained one specimen, in immature 

 plumage ; many years ago he sent an adult from the Coro- 



