30 INDIAN DUCKS 



Genns SAECIDIOENIS. 



This genus is separated from the other Indian genera by the 

 presence of a spur on the shoulders of the wing. This feature was 

 formerly considered of sufficient importance to constitute as a sub- 

 family by themselves such birds as possessed it, and the Plectrop- 

 terinae, are designated by Jerdon " Spurred Geese." Later systemat- 

 ists have added others to this subfamily, which now contains eight 

 genera, many of which are not spurred. 



(7) SARCIDIORNIS MELANOTA. 



THE NLIKHTA OR COMB-DUCK. 



Anser melanotus, Pcnn. Iml. Zool. p. 12, pi. 12 (1769). 



Sarkidiornis melanotus, Jcidoii, B. of I. iii, p. 785 ; Hume, Nests and 



Eggs, p. 636 ; Butler (('■ Hume, S. F. iv, p. 27 ; Hume (f Davis, ibid. 



V, p. 486 ; Hume, ibid, vii, p. 507. 

 Sarcidiornis melanotus, Hume, S. F. vii, p. 491 ; id. ibid, viii, p. 114 ; 



/(/. Cat. No. 950 ; Huvic d- Marsh. Game-B. iii, p. 92 ; Parker, S. F. 



ix, p. 486 ; Leggc, B. of C. p. 1063 ; Oates, S. F. x, p. 245 ; Hume, 



Nests ct Eggs (Gates' Edit.), iii, p. 282 ; Barnes, B. of Bom. v. 396; 



Young, J. B. N. H. S. xi, p. 572 ; Sewell, ibid. p. 547 ; Aithen, ibid. 



p. 552 ; Oates, Game-B. ii, p. 102 ; Blanford, Avifauna B. I. iv, p. 423. 

 Sarcidiornis melanonota, Oates, B. of B. B. ii, p. 275; Salvadori, Cat. 



B. M., xxvii, p. 54 ; Stuart Baker, J. B. N. H. S. xi, p. 172 (1897) ; 



/,/. Indian Ducks, p. 23 (1908) ; Hopwood, J. B. N. H. S. xviii, p. 433 



(1908) (Chindwin) ; Harington, ibid, xix, p. 312 (1909) ; id. ibid. 



p. 366 ; King, ibid, xxi, p. 103 (1911) ; miHchead, ibid. p. 163 ; 



Webb, ibid. p. 685 (1912) ; Harington, ibid. p. 1088 ; Hopicood, ibid. 



p. 1220 ; Higgins, ibid, xxii, p. 399 (1913) ; Osmaston, ibid. p. 548 ; 



Stevens, ibid. p. 733 (1915) ; Gibson, ibid, xxv, p. 747 ; Dhar, ibid. 



xxvi, p. 842 (1919). 



