NETTOPUS COROMANDELIANUS 59 



brown ; a broad superciliary stripe, cheeks, throat, front of neck, and breast 

 white ; a brown Hne through the eyes ; two broad white spots on eacli side 

 of the back, one near the base of the wings, and the other, much longer, on 

 the sides of the rump; feathers of the tail blackish, very long and stifl'." 

 (Salvadoii.) 



Distribution. — The Cotton-Teal is found almost throughout India, 

 Burma and Ceylon, and extends also to China and the Philippines, 

 Sunda Islands, and the Celebes. 



In India proper it may be said to have its stronghold in Eastern 

 Bengal, is still very common in Western Bengal and Assam, less so 

 in the Eastern Punjab and Kajputana, especially so in cold weather, 

 and actually rare towards the west of the Empire. Barnes says 

 that it is not found either in Lluzerat or Sind, but it has been 

 recorded from both places since his book was written. 



Mr. J. W. Parrington records having shot it near Sujawal in 

 Sind, and Mr. E. L. Barton records the following from Guzerat : — 



1897. On 17th .January, at Pardi, Surat ... 5 Cotton-Teal. 



„ 21th „ ' „ „ ... 1 



,, ,, 13th February ,, ,, ... 9 ,, 



1898. ,, 18th December, at Loliderea, Ahmedabad 1 ,, 

 ,, ,, 23rd ,, at Ahdura ... ... 1 ,, 



E. H. Young reports it as occurring in fair numbers in the 

 Panch Mahals, and it is also reported from Guzual by A. H. Mene. 



In Orissa it is common enough, and in parts of Madras 

 fairly so ; from Malabar it has been reported by Mr. A. M. Kinloch. 

 In Ceylon it appears to be more or less confined to the north and 

 east of the island. 



Legge writes (' Birds of Ceylon,' p. 10(37) : — 



"This pretty little bird is common in the tanks of the northern 

 and eastern parts of the island, breeding in many secluded spots, 

 and moving about considerably during the rainy weather. To the 

 Western Province and south-w^est of the island it is apparently 

 chiefly a N.E. monsoon migrant, as about Christmas-time it is met 

 with on the Kotte and Kaesbawa lakes and other simihir sheets 

 of water." 



In Burma it appears to be found everywhere as far south as 

 Tennasserim and Tavoy. 



