DENDKOCYCNA JAVANICA 181 



They very rarely rest on land, as do their laiger brethien, D./uha. 

 and I have never personally seen them thus actually on land. The 

 only time 1 have seen a tiock of any size on a tree was once when, 

 passing under a huge banyan tree, a large tiock flew out just over- 

 head. I was riding when they started, but 1 remember that as they 

 departed out of sight I viewed the last of them from the ground on 

 which I was reclining in a semi-sitting posture. I forget now which 

 got out of sight first, the Teal or my pony — the latter a skittish T. 

 B. WaJer. 



Banyan trees are very favourite resorts of these birds, because, 

 doubtless, of the large horizontal branches which are so numerous, 

 and which give them good foothold without calling on the poweis of 

 grasping to too great an extent. They are quick, strong swimmers, 

 and very good divers also, but I have not known them dive and 

 remain under water, holding on to reeds, etc., as some ducks do. As 

 a rule, a wounded bird dives and scurries under water at a great pace 

 for about ten to twenty yards, and then reappears, once more to dive 

 as the would-be catcher thinks that at last he has got it. 



They feed on anything and everything, but bring up their young 

 principally on animal food, and they themselves, in an adult state, 

 probably prefer vegetable food. They graze often in the rice-fields, 

 but only when the plant is very young, and I have seen them grazing 

 on the coarse dhub-grass which often grows on sandy spots at the 

 edges of tanks and jhils in the cold weather. 



I have found that they eat large quantities of a very small fresh- 

 water snail ; this has a very brittle shell, and so is probably easily 

 crushed and digested. These snails might account for the flavour of 

 which the bird is unfortunately so often the possessor. Anyway, it is 

 most rare to find a Whistling-Teal fit to eat, though it is not an 

 impossibility to get such, a young bird just at the commencement of 

 the cold weather being the most likely to furnish an edible dish. At 

 the same time I have occasionally found them to be really excellent 

 eating. 



Their note is described by their name, and is a regular whistle, 

 not very clear, rather sibilant, and by no means harsh or shrill. It 

 is uttered constantly whilst on the wing, especially when first rising 

 and during the first few wheels. I have also heard them, during the 



