CEYLON WATER BIRDS. 337 
Young birds resemble the females. 
In breeding males bill black ; iris red ; legs and feet black, 
dusky yellow down the sides. 
In females bill brown above, yellowish underneath ; iris 
brown ; legs and toes greenish-yellow, webs black. 
Length 13; wing 6:5; tail 2°75; tarsus 1; bill from gape 
1-15. 
Females are slightly smaller. 
Distribution —Commonest in the north and east of the 
island, but spreads during the north-east monsoon to the 
west and south-west. Occurs through most parts of India and 
Burma, and extends through south-eastern Asia to China, the 
Philippines, and Dutch East Indies. 
Habits—Very fond of weedy tanks, which it frequents in 
small flocks ; occasionally larger flocks may be seen, especially 
on large tanks during the hot weather, when smaller tanks 
are dry. These little ducks fly low and fast, uttering their 
curious cackle, which sounds like ‘‘ quacky-duck, quacky- 
duck.’’ They breed in the early part of the year and again 
about August. The nest is a scanty lining of down placed in 
holes in trees or in old buildings. About eight to twelve eggs 
are laid, smooth ivory-white, measuring about 1°65 by 1°28. 
ANAS PCCILORHYNCHA (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 436 ; 
Legge, p. 1073). 
The Spotted-billed Duck. 
Description.—Forehead, crown, and nape dark brown, with 
paler streaks; a stripe above the eye; the sides of the head 
and the neck whitish with brown streaks ; chin and throat 
unstreaked. The rest of the upper partsare brown, darkening 
almost to black on the tail, with pale edges to the feathers on 
the upper back and scapulars, and a slight green gloss on the 
tail coverts ; breast and abdomen buff-white with large brown 
spots; on the lower abdomen the ground-colour gradually 
deepens to the hue of the spots; the under tail coverts are © 
deep sooty-brown. 
The primaries are dark brown; the outer webs of the 
secondaries are glossy purple, shading to peacock-green, with 
an outer border of black narrowly edged with white ; outer 
