152 Manual of the Game Birds of I?idia. 



ever, it has not been met with in recent 

 years. 



The Grey Duck is not known to occur 

 anywhere outside the limits of the Indian 

 Empire. 



This fine Duck frequents ponds, tanks, 

 and small lakes by preference, but is also 

 to be found at times in streams and on 

 the larger rivers. It prefers well-wooded 

 and reed-margined pieces of water to 

 any others. When ponds dry up in one 

 part of the country, it proceeds to another 

 part, and it is only in this sense that the 

 Grey Duck can be termed migratory. 

 It is found, as a rule, singly or in pairs, 

 but on large pieces of water flocks of 

 from twenty to eighty may be observed. 

 This Duck is not at all shy, and is 

 frequently to be seen quite close to 

 villages ; and I once shot one in a small 

 drinking-water tank, not more than forty 

 yards square, close to a monastery, 

 where the villagers were in the habit 

 of coming all through the day to fill their 

 water-pots. When on large pieces of 

 water, they are not difficult to approach 

 in a boat. They rise heavily, but fly 

 swiftly when they are fairly off. When 

 wounded, they dive very cleverly, and 

 often escape capture, but they are also 



