THE WOOD-DUCKS. 



Few Ducks are so little known as the 

 Indian Wood-Duck. The Hume Collec- 

 tion contains but one specimen, and notes 

 on the habits of this species are very im- 

 perfect. 



After a careful investigation, I agree 

 with Messrs. Hume and Marshall that the 

 Indian Wood-Duck is distinct from the 

 Wood-Duck of Java. The former has 

 the head and neck white, spotted with 

 black ; the latter has these parts pure 

 white, in addition to having a good deal 

 of white on other parts of the body. 

 These facts appear to me to be well 

 established, both by the evidence of actual 

 specimens and also by the descriptions of 

 the older writers. 



The changes of plumage of these Ducks, 

 and the distinctive garb of the sexes, 

 cannot yet be satisfactorily worked out, 

 owing to the paucity of specimens. With 

 regard to the Indian species, 1 have 

 described the plumage of a fine mounted 

 136 



