1922.] Birds of Jhang District. 419 



one o£ the first points that will occur is the extreme 

 abundance of Geese along ihis area, particularly of Anser 

 anser (L.). Huge flocks were constantly seen, and specimens 

 were obtained without difficulty. Now, in Jhang District, it 

 is a very different story. The waters ot" the rivers, drained 

 by the canals, have become but a mere shadow of their 

 former selves in the winter months, and the numbers of 

 Geese have greatly dwindled. A certain number still 

 appear in winter, and frequent the sand-banks and feed in 

 the neiiihbourinir wheat-fields, but the flocks are small and 

 few and far between. My notes sliow that they are with us 

 from December to March, though these dates should probably 

 be extended. Different dates for the two species are not 

 satisfactorily indicated. 



Casarca ferruginea (Pall.). (3 skins.) 



A common winter visitor, usuallj' found in pairs or small 

 parties, but occasionally in flocks of as many as fifty 

 individuals. It arrives in November (earliest dates 18 

 November, 1917; 12 November, 1918) and leaves about 

 February, although I saw a pair on the Abdul Rahman 

 jheel as late as 21 March, 1918. 



Anas platyrhyncha platyrhyncha L. (1 skin.) 



The Mallard is a winter visitor, and from November to 



January forms the vast majority of the Ducks in the district. 



They start to leave in February and are practically all gone 



by the middle of March. 



Anas poecilorhyncha poecilorhyncha Forst. (5 skins.) 



The Spot-bill Duck is nowhere very abundant, but parties 

 of this species are to be met with among the other Ducks in 

 the district during the winter months. I have only seen the 

 species from November to March, but on occasion it certainly 

 breeds in the district. On 20 December, 1917, when we were 

 shooting the big Kharkan jheel, ('apt. Ticohurst came across 

 two Spot-])ills which appeared absurdly tame, and on shooting 

 one he found that it was a young bird of the year, unable to 



fly properly. 



2e2 



