290 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



"Of course, with noisy splashing animals, 

 any approach to Ducks was impossible ; 

 on the other hand the pool was full of 

 huge crocodiles : we could see them with 

 our glasses. However, I agreed to go 

 on foot, the elephants to come to me 

 the moment the shots were fired. I 

 passed through the tall bamboo-grass in 

 water deepening until it was nearly up 

 to my waist till I came to the edge, and 

 found myself about twenty yards from ten 

 or a dozen of the Ducks. They were 

 not sitting close together, so I shot the 

 finest with one barrel, and another as 

 they rose, and I made off to the elephants 

 as hard as I could. . . . 



" The Duck's plumage is fully described 

 by Jerdon and Hume ; I need only refer 

 here to its habits. It lives in this country 

 all the year round ; generally it is found 

 in small flocks of from eight to twelve : 

 probably these are the old birds and 

 the young ones of the year. It never 

 associates, so far as I saw, with other 

 Ducks, nor gets into large flocks. In the 

 breeding season it pairs and nests in short 

 grass on dry land at some distance from 

 the pools. I have seen the eggs, but 

 cannot now describe them. I have had 

 the young ones brought to me, and should 



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