46 INDIAN SPOETING BIRDS 



grey, and was thus like the male South American nukta, 

 which seems to me, therefore, hardly distinct from ours. The 

 African one is now admitted to be the same as the Indian ; no 

 other species is known. 



The comb-duck is generally distributed over India, Burma, 

 and Ceylon in suitable localities, such localities being open land 

 provided with plenty of reedy marshes, and scattered large 

 trees ; treeless country the bird dislikes, as it is a perching 

 duck and roosts and breeds in the trees ; nor does it care, on 

 the other hand, about actual forest. It seldom frequents rivers, 

 but may be found on lakes, and in some localities even on small 

 ponds. It will thus be seen that its choice of localities is very 

 different from that of the geese, while it is not sociable like 

 them, being very rarely found in flocks of more than a dozen 

 or so, and commonly in pairs. It associates with no other 

 duck but the ruddy sheldrake, and that not often, as the two 

 birds affect different places ; and unless it happens to be in such 

 company, is not so wary as one would expect a large water- 

 fowl to be. Most of its tune is passed in the water, though it 

 walks as well on land as a goose, and although it feeds freely 

 on rice and land and water herbage, it also partakes of water- 

 snails, insects. Sec, like a typical duck. The brown young birds 

 are good eating, but the adults, though not ill-flavoured, are 

 inclined to be hard ; they should be cooked and served like geese. 

 On the water the bird sits high with the stern raised, like 

 a goose, but both there and on land the neck is carried in 

 a graceful curve, and when courting the male arches his neck 

 and bends down his head, slightly expanding his wings after 

 the fashion of a swan, only much less. The comb-duck swims 

 well, and dives vigorously if pressed ; in flight it is intermediate 

 in style between a duck and a goose ; the male, conspicuous by 

 his size and comb, acts as the leader. It flies and feeds by day, 

 retiring to the trees at night ; it is usually very silent, but the 

 note when heard is variously described, sometimes as loud and 

 goose-like, sometimes as a low guttural quack, or, in the case 

 of the male, as a grating sound ; probably only the female has 

 the loud call. 



The pair seem nmch attached, and the male acconipanies 



