[Ch.vp. V, 

 23 PAEi. 16.] 



Pl^^tnil.—ln the daytime they frequent large lakes 

 and jhils and rest in the centre of wide, comparatively open 

 pieces of water, slinnning such as have thick cover of reeds 

 or similar heavy jangle, yet resorting always to those which 

 have the surface covered with lilies and the smaller 

 water plants, amongst which they can lie well concealed, 

 vet able to discern at once the approach of anything to 

 their vicinity. During the nightthey do not leave 



their quarters till very late— they visit the smaller jh^l^ 

 and tanks, the rushy banks of the nnllalis and canals 

 and similar places, where they feed, but the iirst 

 glimmer of dawn finds them on the wing once more 

 en route to the larger waters. Big rivers they do not 

 seem to like. Small rivers, if of clear and quick-running 

 waters, are no more pleasing to the Pintail ; but small 

 creeks of almost still water and canals which have vegetation 

 about them, are visited for the purpose of food, and 

 occasionally a flock may be put up from such places in 

 the daytime. {Stivvd-Baker.) 



Garqavey. -The Garganey haunts almost any kind of 

 water, says Stiu at- Baker, not, \is a rule, frequenting small, 

 quick-running streams or small, clean, tanks and ponds, 

 and beinii specially partial to wide stretches of fen or bheel 

 well covered over their greater extent with weeds yet 

 havino- fairly extensive patches of clear water dotted here 

 and there o\er their surface. During the day they keep 

 almost entirely to the larger sheets of water or so, 

 sometimes to tlie larger rivers, such as Indus, Ganges, 

 etc., where thev iloat' in the centre in dense, closely- 

 packed masses. ' They feed in the smaller tanks and jhiLs 

 and also in the paddy -fields and on various young laud- 

 crops. 



Shoveller. — An regards its haunts, says Stuart-Baker, 

 they are everywhere and anywhere, but it does not care 

 for open deep water and prefers small creeks, ponds, jhils 

 and tanks which are covered with vegetation, and also 

 stretches of shallow water with plentiful cover and a 

 muddy bottom. At the same time I haie shot them in 

 the very centre of large, open bheels and once on a small 

 hill stream. To the shores they stick, says Hume ; into 

 the open water they never seem to struggle by choice ; 

 and, if you watch them, they are for the most part, 

 either dozing on the brink or paddling slowly in the 

 shadows with their entire bills and more or less of their 

 heads under water, their heads working fiom side to side 

 all the while like a Flamingo's or Spoonbill's. Comment- 

 ing on this, Stuart-Baker sa} s he has seen the Shoveller 

 in'' open water, but this only rarely and only during the 

 heat of the day when the birds wish to sleep. 



