96. THE RUDDY SHELD-DUCK. 



Casarca aisarai, (Linn/eus).* 



Primaries uniformly black. 



Axillaries and under wing-coverts white. 



Speculum metallic green or bronze, 



with the outer web of the adjoining 



secondaries chestnut. 

 Tail wholly black. 



Sexes alike, except that the male assumes 

 a black collar in the breeding season. 



Vernacular Names -.—Surchab, Lai, 

 Chakwa, Hind. ; Mungh, Sind ; Btcgrz, 

 Beng. ; Sarza, Chakrawak, Mahr. ; 

 Neer-bathoo, Neer-kolee, South India ; 

 Bassana, Chilluwa, Tel. ; Kesar-pan- 

 dia, Panda-hajisa, Uriya ; Hintha, 

 Burm. 



The Ruddy Sheld-Duck, or Brahminy 

 Duck, is a winter visitor to every portion 

 of the Indian Empire except the southern 

 portions of Tenasserim, and even there 

 it is by no means certain that it does 

 not occur, for the late Mr. Davidson, a 



■'' Casavca vutila of the British Museum 

 Catalogue. 



92 



