WATER FOWL OF INDIA AND ASIA. 5 
credible, however, that many hybrids do not really visit 
us, and the possibility of finding one of these curious 
crosses gives an additional interest to the study of the 
group. 
As food, Ducks vary very much, the difference depend- 
ing to a certain extent on what they have themselves 
previously eaten. The worst may, at a pinch, be 
improved for the table by skinning them, the un- 
pleasant flavour largely residing in the skin, which is 
loaded with fat in these birds. 
Distribution of the Ducks. 
Ducks are found all over the world, most of the iinest 
forms, however, living, or at any rate breeding, outside 
the topics ; few species reside constantly in India or other 
hot countries. The number of migratory Ducks that 
visit the Indian Empire in the cold weather, however, 
bring up our number of species to nearly a fourth of the 
whole family. 
It will be noticed that the non-Indian species occurr- 
ing in Asia are nearly all high northern birds, and often 
of marine habits, and the lines of migration followed by 
these are not likely to take them to India as a rule, 
though they are liable to occur there, as such maritime 
species as the sheldrake, golden-eye, and scaup do so. 
As Asia, zoologically considered, extends down 
through the East Indies to Bah, it has been necessary 
to include the descriptions of a few East Indian species, 
most of which are properly Australianforms which 
extend westwards. Of the Asiatic Ducks, on the other 
hand, hardly any reach Australia. 
Divisions of the Duck Family. 
So far I have spoken of “ Ducks ’’ ina general sense, 
as I warned my readers above ; but there and at the 
beginning I mentioned that under Anatid@ came also 
