ANAS PLATYRHTNCHA 153 



numbers on the Kashmir hikes, and in small numbers on those in 

 Tibet, probably also throughout the Himalayas in suitable places. 

 Hume suggests that it may also be found to breed on s\samps about 

 the foot of these mountains ; biit I can find no record of its ever 

 having done so. 



As far as we know, Kashmir is the breeding-place par excellence 

 of our Indian Mallards ; here they are found in such great numbers 

 that their eggs form a veritable article of commerce, boat-loads at 

 a time being collected on the shores of those lakes which they 

 principally affect for breeding purposes. 



The nest is a massive affair, composed of all and any materials, 

 but principally of grasses, rushes, reeds and similar articles. 



The lining of feathers and down varies very much. I have seen a 

 nest into which one could plunge a hand to the wrist into down 

 and feathers ; and, again, Thave seen others which had not a handful 

 of these in the whole nest. 



The normal position of the nest is on the ground in thick cover ; 

 often it is placed in amongst the dense sedges, reeds, and bushes 

 growing at the edge of the water ; l>ut at other times it is placed 

 at some distance from the water, and at other times, again, absolutely 

 in the water itself, amongst some thick cluster of reeds or other 

 aquatic plants. 



The nest is not always, however, placed on the ground. In 

 India the natives say that they sometimes find the eggs in nests 

 on trees ; but there seems to Ije no authentic record of one ever 

 having been so found. In England, there are numerous records of 

 such nests, and two have come within my own personal experience. 

 One of these was a huge construction of grass and reeds placed in 

 the head of a pollard willow. There was a deep indentation where 

 the nest was placed, and the masses of twigs, then in thick foliage, 

 quite concealed the nest from anyone on the ground. The duck was, 

 however, seen going in, and the nest spotted in consequence. It con- 

 tained eight eggs, which were, I believe, all hatched and the ducklings 

 reared in safety. 



The second nest was quite different. A huge tree (I forget now 

 what it was), which divided into three quite close to the ground, 

 threw out great horizontal limbs over a piece of water which lay 



