WATER FOWL OF INDIA AND ASIA. Q5 
the wings are proportionately shorter than in the 
Mallard; the Spotted-bill, however, stands higher on 
its legs. The general plumage is mottled light and 
dark, much as in the females of other Ducks of this 
section, with a general greyish cast. The fore-part of 
the body is mostly light, the hinder dark, the rump 
and stern being quite black. The wing-bar is metallic 
green, edged white fore and aft, and the outer webs of 
the inner quills are white, making a long white splash 
on the wing ; this is often stained with brown in the 
female. The bill is very characteristic, orange or 
scarlet at the root, black for most of its length, and 
broadly tipped with brilliant yellow varying to 
orange ; in fact, Mr. F. Gleadow told me that in Sind 
he has found the tip and root of the bill about the 
same colour; here in Bengal they are very different. 
The eyes are dark, and feet bright red, varying to orange, 
the old males having them brightest. The female is 
not much smaller than the male in this species. 
Young birds are less spotted below and, when first 
dJedged, usually have the black of the bill not reach- 
ing the sides, and the red patches only indicated by an 
orange shading at the base, the sides of the bill being 
yellow. In some, however, the black spreads right 
across the bill, and the two basal red patches are 
defined, much earlier than in others. 
The Spotted-bill is always confined to the Indian Em- 
pire, and is found throughout India south of the 
Himalayas, Assam, Manipur, the Upper Irrawaddy 
Valley above Mandalay, and the Shan States, but is 
rare in Lower Burma. In Ceylon it is found, but is 
not common. Itfrequenits fresh water, and is found, 
according toseason, in pairsorsmall parties, as a rule. 
The breeding-season for this species varies according 
to locality, being in Northern India generally from July 
to September. 
The eggs are greyish-white, and six to twelve in num- 
ber, and the nest, made of grass and rushes, is placed on 
