8 



ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



and gracefully ; as a rule, rather deep in the water, but at 

 times, especially when a lot are at play together, for a minute 

 or two quite high, as if barely resting on the water. They are 

 very playful, and skirmish about together, chasing each other, 

 scuttling along the surface one moment, out of sight the next, 

 and they are grand divers. 



" I think that they feed chiefly by night, for which purpose all 

 birds, spending the day in rivers and bare-shored lakes, leave 

 these at night for more suitable feeding-grounds. But they 

 feed also during the day, when in any of their favourite haunts, 

 and you may see them for an hour together diving for the 

 roots and submerged stems and foliage of all kinds of aquatic 

 plants. With us, in Upper India, their food is, according to 

 my experience, almost entirely vegetable. I have found a few 

 insects, grubs, worms, tiny frogs, and a good many shells in 

 their stomachs, but seeds, flower-buds, shoots, leaves, stems, 

 and roots of water-plants, together with fine pebbles and sand, 

 of which there is always a considerable quantity, have always 

 constituted the bulk of the contents ; and it is, perhaps, in 

 consequence of this that, as a rule, when killed inland in India, 

 they are excellent eating. Not so always with those killed on 

 the coast. A pair I shot in Karachi harbour turned out rank 

 and far from good eating ; and a third, shot a few days later, 

 proved to have fed chiefly on marine plants, small Crustacea 

 and mollusca. Occasionally, when in small parties, they are 

 to be seen paddling about in shallow, weedy corners of jhils, 

 along with Gadwall, Teal, and Shovelers ; but normally they 

 keep in large flocks, and affect pretty deep water when feeding 

 in the day-time." 



Nest. Made of dead grass and sedge, and lined with 

 down. 



Eggs. From seven to ten, the latter being the usual number, 

 though as many as thirteen have been found. The colour is 

 greenish or greenish stone-colour, and they resemble those ol 

 the Scaup and Tufted Duck. Axis, 2-45-2-55 inches; diam., 

 1-65-1-75. 



Down. Of medium size, darfc brown, with greyish-brown 

 filamental tips, and a somewhat large star of dull white. 



