6 WATER FOWL OF INDIA AND ASIA. 
the birds known as Swans, Geese and Mergansers 
and these groups, together with the birds to which the 
name of Duck is usually restricted, form four obvious 
sub-divisions of the family; these sub-divisions are 
adopted by Dr. Blanford inthe fourth Bird Volume of 
the Fauna of British India series as the “ sub-families ”’ 
into which the Anatid@ are divided by him—an arrange- 
ment which is very simple and easy to follow. But how 
about Teal ? will probably be asked. In answer to this 
it can only be said that the word ‘“‘ Teal ’’ simply means 
a small Duck, and has been generally so used, just as 
big Ducks have frequently attained to the dignity of 
“Geese ’’ both with naturalists and with the general 
public. It will prove more convenient in the long run, 
however, to restrict these words to the birds to which 
they most properly belong, and with Indian birds this 
can generally be done. 
As to the distinction of the four groups of the Ducks, 
this 1s not difficult with Indian species, if certain obvious 
characters be attended to. 
SWANS (Cygnine) are at once distinguished by their 
exceedingly long necks and by their great size, exceeding 
that of an ordinary tame Goose. The plumage is white 
or grey, according to age. 
GEESE (Ansevine) differ from most other Indian 
members of the Duck tribe in having the front edge of 
the nostrils about the middle of the beak, instead of 
nearer the root than the tip, according to the usual rule 
among Ducks and birds in general. Their plumage is 
plain grey or brown with lighter edges, giving it a barred 
appearance. This will at once prevent the Golden-eye 
Duck, which is pied, from being mistaken for a Goose, 
though unlike other Ducks, it has nostrils set far forward, 
much as ina Goose. Geese are of large size as a rule, 
but no Indian wild Goose is so big as an ordinary tame 
one. This excludes the Whooper Swan, which is much 
bigger than a tame Goose, but has the nostrils about 
the middle of the beak. 
