3'20 INDIAN DUCKS 



The next record is a most important one by E. H. Aitkeu, and 

 was noted in the ' Journal of the Bom. Nat. Hist. Society ' : — 



" I shot a Goosander {Mercjus merganser) at Shewa just across 

 the Bombay Harbour on the 2nd inst. (December). It was a 

 female or immature male, and was playing along in a shallow 

 'iheet of water which formed the reservoir of one of the salt-works. 

 I believe this is the most southern jjoint in India from which this 

 liird has yet been recorded." 



Gates, merely because it was found in mif initer, does not accept 

 Mr. Aitken's identification, and thinks it must have been M. xerrator. 

 r can see no reason for thinking Mr. Aitken was wrong, and accept, 

 fully, Bombay as the most southern point in India in which the 

 Goosander has been obtained. 



The next record I can find is that of a Goosander shot by li. F. B. 

 at Myitkyina, Burma, and sent with a note to the ' Asian,' dated 

 1st ^larch, 1897, the bird having been shot the previous day. This 

 bird was identified by Mr. F. Finn, who kindly notified me of its 

 occurrence. 



Gates, in his ' Game-Birds,' says that : — 



" The Goosander is a common bird in the Upper Irrawaddy, and 

 occurs in small parties of from two or three to six. Owing to my 

 being obliged to travel about in steamers, I never succeeded in 

 shooting one of these l)irds, but Commander A. C. Yorstoun kindly 

 procured me one and sent me the skin for identification." 



I have myself found it to be extremely common on the Subansiri, 

 and many other hill-rivers and streams, in the cold weather, in flocks 

 of forty upwards, and one flight I estimated at over 200. I should 

 think that on the 25th, 26tb, and 27th of January, 1901, I daily, in 

 the river mentioned, saw from 200 to 500 of these birds, on a very 

 small stretch of water. They were extremely wild and wary when 

 one came across them on the water ; but when flighting, would often 

 pass up and down within shot of the boat. 



As far as I can ascertain, they are equally common on the 

 Dehing, Dibong, and all the larger streams in Assam, and are 

 plentiful on the Brahmapootra itself above Sadiya, being also found 

 now and then as low down as Dibrugarh, or even lower. 



Primrose reports them as common and not shy on the Gadadhur 

 in the Goalpara district, where the birds allow boats to approach 

 within thirty yards. 



