CEYLON WATER BIRDS. 333 
SARCIDIORNIS MELANONOTUS (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 423 ; 
Legge, p. 1063). 
The Comb Duck. 
Description.—Male: head and neck white, interspersed with 
feathers of metallic black, which are thickest on the crown 
and down the back of the neck. The lower parts and the 
lower neck all round are white ; the upper back, wings, rump, 
upper tail coverts, and tail are black glossed with green and 
blue, except the scapulars, which are glossed with rich purple ; 
the lower back is dusky gray; the flanks vary from brownish- 
gray to white with a gray tinge ; a black bar runs from the 
upper back a short way down the side of the breast and another 
black bar from the rump to the lower flanks. 
Males carry at the base of the bill a high fleshy comb, which 
is largest during the breeding season. 
Females are similar in plumage, but smaller ; they lack the 
comb on the bill ; the head and neck are blacker, there is less 
gloss on the upper plumage, while the lower back and rump 
are paler. 
Young birds are brown where adults are black, and the 
white of the lower plumage is tinged with rust-colour. 
Bill and comb black ; iris brown; legs and feet dull lead- 
colour. 
Length of male 30; wing 15; tail 6; tarsus 2:75; bill 
from gape 2:7. Females: length 26; wing 11°25; tail 4:5; 
tarsus 2; bill 2. 
Distribution.—Found here and there on larger tanks in the 
north and east of the Island. It occurs in suitable localities 
over the greater part of India and Burma, also in tropical and 
Southern Africa. 
Habits—This large Duck is nowhere common, but may be 
met with in small flocks on large weedy tanks in the heart of the 
jungle. During the breeding season, about February and 
March, the birds pair off. The nest is a slight collection of 
sticks, leaves, grass, and feathers placed in a hole low down in 
a large tree, or in the hollow angle where a large branch meets 
the stem. The eggs number seven to twelve, are polished 
ivory-white, and measure about 2°40 by 1-70. 
