ICiivi'. X. 22 



rviiv. :UK\ 



character of their knaves clianged liowevcr by emergency) 

 lie in thick masses coiled along the .snrface. This, notes 

 Staart-Baher, is certainly my experience, and I noticed in 

 the Sunderbunds how very much this duck ke]5t to the 

 open, central portions of the huge bheeh feeding there on 

 and amongst the aquatic plants, especially on a long, 

 trailing moss-like weed which grew several feet under 

 water. Moreover, I have found in their stomachs the 

 roots of plants which do not grow except in fairly deep 

 water. They not only dive well and for long periods, but 

 they also dive to no inconsiderable depth; and that it is a 

 pleasure to them to dive is shown by their constant diving 

 when at play, chasing one another both above and below 

 the surface. Tliey feed both by night and day but 

 mainly in the early morning and evening ; and, thouo-h 

 the very much greater portion of their diet is undoubtedly 

 aquatic, -they have been known to feed on young crops on 

 dry land. They are principally vegetable feeders, ml da 

 Slnart-Buker, but tliey sometimes feed on fish, shcll-fisli. 

 water insects, etc. 



The Pochard. — Principally night- feeders, says Sluart- 

 Baker, they feed also througliout the day except in the 

 hottest hours, where they are not interfered with. Hume 

 once or twice caught them feeding on wild rice on land, 

 but their feeding thus, comments the same authority, is 

 I slioald think quite exceptional, and nearly all their diet 

 is one obtained from fairly deep water amongst roots and 

 similar things. 



White-eyed Duck. — Omnivorous, like all ducks, this 

 species probably makes its diet fully three-quarters 

 animal, writes IStv.art- Baker. Those birds, he goes on, 

 which I shot in the Diyang and other hill-streams had all 

 in addition to caddis-grubs, dragon-tly, larv;,e, and similar 

 articles), quite a number of small fish, some of them tliree 

 inches in length. They were all, or nearly all, of the 

 small " Miller's Thumb" species so common in every hill- 

 stream. Doubtless these, from their sluggish disposition 

 and their ostrich-like habits of hiding their heads under 

 a stone and then resting in fancied security, fell a very 

 easy prey to the active White-eye. 



Tufted Duck. — Its food is almost entirely animal, 

 iiriies Stuart-Baker, much the same in fact as that of 

 the Scaup, but it is far more a fresh-water biiTl and far 

 less a sea-bird than is that duck, though common enough 

 on the coast-line along the greater part of its habitat. 

 They feed principally daring the day-time, init migrate 

 and move from one place to another after sunset. Thej 

 do not ever appear to have been found feeding on land, 

 but, should they ever do so, the probability is that they 

 only thus feed during the night. 



They are very expert divers. 



