WATER FOWL OF INDIA AND ASIA. Q7 
Japan, and the eggs are ivory white. Since then 
Mr. H. N. Thompson (Journal, As. Soc., Bengal, Vol. 
Px, pt ik pp. tar, 142): has recorded it) as 
common in these States, and as meeting at the Fort 
Stedman lake with the Spotted-bill, hybrid birds often 
occurring in this locality. A specimen of the Spotted- 
bill from Tamilone, Upper Burma, and another from 
Yunnan, collected by the late Dr. J. Anderson and in 
the Indian Museum in my time, showed no red on the 
bili, though adult, and might have had some zonor- 
hyncha blood. Atthesame time observers will need 
to be careful in imputing a hybrid origin to inter- 
mediate specimens, since, as above noted, the young 
Yellow-nibs are much more like the Spotted-bill than 
their parents, though the blue wing-bar ought to 
distinguish them. The Yellow-nib also has a pro- 
portionately longer wing; it inhabits China, Japan 
and the Kurile islands, Mongolia and Eastern Siberia, 
and has full claim to rank as one of our Indian Ducks, 
as in addition to the above records, several collectors 
have met with it from Igor onwards in the Dibrugarh 
district. 
The Australian Wild Duck. 
Anas superciliosa, SALVADORI, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, 
Vol. XXV Lp: 206: 
This Duck which is the “Black Duck” of Australia and 
“Grey Duck ’’of New Zealand sportsmen closely resembles the 
Mallard and Spotted-bill in size, form, note, and general habits. 
Its colour, however, is noticeably different, being of a very 
dark chocolate brown with narrow paler edgings to the 
feathers ; the sides of the head are buff, with a very distinct 
black eye-streak, and the wing-bar is metallic green with 
black edgings fore and aft. The bill is slate-colour and the 
feet dull orange. There is no sex difference, both drake and 
duck having the samme sombre plumage, which reminds one of 
the dark brown often seen in tame Ducks. Although occur- 
ring as near the Indian Empire as Java, and ranging through 
the East Indies, this is essentially a Pacific-region species, 
7 
