208 INDIAN DUCKS 



In opsn waters, such as rivers, etc., and when on the wing, Teal 

 often fly bunched and close together, and form shots which much 

 encourage the habits of shooting info the hroirn, quite small flocks 

 often providing from half-a-dozen to a dozen Teal to a couple of 

 barrels of an ordinar}' smooth-bore. Of course, even into tlie hron-n 

 one must hold fairly straight, as the Teal yields to no duck in the 

 speed of its flight, in addition to which the sudden sweeps and 

 turns the flock take often disconcert the gunner. 



They stand a fair amount of shot unless hit well forward, when 

 a single pellet of No. (i or 7, or even of No. S, may suflice to 

 bring the bird to bag. 



Hume says that they swim easily, but not very rapidly, and 

 that they cannot dive to much purpose. 



Whilst agreeing with his estimate of their swimming powers, I 

 can hardly, however, do so with that of their diving. If shot in 

 open water, they can be brought to hand easily, for they do not 

 dive for long, and not particularly quickly ; but if shot amongst 

 reeds they are wonderfully smart in hiding and in dodging in and 

 out amongst them, as also in secreting themselves while holding 

 on to the reeds so that they lie entirely under the water, except 

 the tips of their bills. T found that in the Sundarbands they 

 nearly always made for the water-lilies, hiding under one of the 

 huge leaves. 



They walk well, and can even run if necessary ; but they do 

 not care for the land, nor do they rest on it, but on the water 

 where there is cover. They rarely feed on really dry land, but 

 frequently in paddy-fields, etc., where there are a few inches only 

 of mud and water. As already said, they are principally night 

 feeders, but where quite undisturbed, they feed during all but the 

 hottest hours of the day, say from eleven a.m. to about three p.m. 

 Their food is undoubtedly mainly vegetable, but they do not despise 

 worms, insects, etc., which may come in their way. For the purpose 

 of obtaining food their diving is said not to extend beyond the 

 peculiar semi-dive so much indulged in by the domestic duck, which 

 leaves the tail-end well out of water. 



They are excellent eating, and, however poor in condition they 

 may be, never seem to get an objectionable flavour ; so good are they 



