( 220 ) 
(955) CASARCA LEUCOPTERA, WV hite-winged Sheldrake. 
(956) TADORNA VULPANSER, Shaldrake, are much rarer birds, 
and difficult to meet. 
Famity ANATIDA 
Bill equal width throughout, bigger portion shallow and depress- 
ed, both mandibles with lamelle ; tarsus short and legs with a back- 
ward position on the body. 
They comprise of the following sub-families :— 
I.—ANATINA .... True Ducks (hind toe small). 
II.—FULIGULINE .... Pochards or Sea Ducks (hind toe 
large and webbed). 
I.—_ANATINZ (True Ducks) 
(957) SPATULA CLYPEATA, Shoveller, has upper mandible wide, 
and flattened in appearance, tip much dilated, not unlike a spatula, 
nail small ; lamelle fine, hair-like, and highly developed, which aids 
these ducks to discriminate—select, and distribute, miscellaneous 
substances, which get drawn up by the bill ; thus retaining the 
easier, What foods are wanted, or may be desired and _ rejecting the 
rest ; tail a bit wedge-shaped ; tarsus short. 
Most birds of this family are migratory in their habits, and winter 
visitants in the plains. You will find a number of species of Anatine, 
congregated together on Chullen Beel, or at Karagola Ghat on the 
old route to Darjeeling. In Spring they leave in big numbers for 
high altitudes. Shovellers and Gadwalls are usually closely associat- 
ed together, and are seen much in each others company. They are 
always, and:at all times on the best of terms, either when. among 
reeds and rushes of shallower parts of the lake, or on the water 
quietly resting from their labours. Size of the Shoveller is 20 
inches ; bill brownish black ; irides yellow ; legs orange ; colour of 
plumage, above, is dark umber brown on the back ; scapulars white ; 
upper tail-coverts brown, having a glossy blackish green appearance 
on exposed parts of the feathers ; outer feathers of tail-coverts are 
white ; parts of wing-coverts are bluish ; greater coverts have a 
brilliant green speculum, a similar marking we noticed, on Shel- 
drakes and Dendrocygna, of brilliant colour ; quills umber brown 
