The Cotton-Teal. 129 



in very large numbers. Their flight, 

 when once up, is remarkably swift, and 

 they twist round corners in a wonderful 

 manner. They do not, as a rule, fly far, 

 but quickly settle down again. Although 

 these Teal are surface-feeding birds, they 

 dive with great facility, and wounded 

 birds are generally lost. The Cotton-Teal 

 is chiefly a day-feeder. It frequently 

 perches on the larger branches of trees, 

 and generally roosts on them at night. 

 The cry of this little bird is a rather 

 loud, chuckling cackle, uttered when 

 flying. 



Mr. Stuart Baker thus explains how 

 such vast numbers of this Teal come to 

 be caught near Calcutta, and to be brought 

 to the market, throughout the cold 

 weather : — 



"In certain of the drier portions of 

 its habitat this bird is semi-migratory in 

 its habits, only visiting them in the rains, 

 and leaving again for some more suitable 

 place as the haunts in the former begin 

 to dry up. Hume, talking of the vast 

 numbers seen every day during the cold 

 weather in the Calcutta market, says that 

 it is a mystery to him where they come 

 from. Having myself shot over some of 

 the vast bhils and backwaters of the 



VOL. II. 9 



