278 Manual of the Game Birds of India 



and could, I should imagine, be easily 

 domesticated. 



" As a whole I consider them poor, 

 rather sluggish ducks, very much disposed 

 to take life easy, and in a dolce far 7iiente 

 style, and lacking in every line the vigour 

 and energy that characterise races born 

 and bred within the hardy north." 



Regarding the nesting of this species 

 in Spain, we have the following excellent 

 note by Colonel Irby, as quoted by Mr. 

 Dresser : — " In Andalucia this species is 

 a summer migrant, arriving from March 

 to May. I have heard of three having 

 been killed late in February ; but I myself 

 first noticed it on the 23rd of March. 

 They are tolerably numerous on the 

 marismas and other suitable localities, 

 where they remain to breed, leaving us 

 again in September. I never saw any or 

 heard of their occurrence here except 

 between the dates above given. In 1871 

 I had two nests, with the eggs, brought 

 to me, the female having been, in both 

 cases, shot off the nest. Both these nests 

 were found in the same small, circular, 

 isolated patch of short, spiky rushes, not 

 more than ten feet in diameter, and 

 surrounded by dried mud. I went myselt 

 to inspect the place, which is in that 



