DAFILA. 447 



Ceylon, nor south of Mysore in the Indian Peninsula, nor in 

 Tenasserim, but locally and in particular years abundant from 

 October till March in parts of Sind, the Punjab, Kashmir, 

 Rajputana, the North-west Provinces, Oudh, and the Deccan, 

 though rare in Bengal, and not recorded from Orissa, Assam, 

 Sylhet, or Cachar. Gates did not meet with it in Pegu, though 

 McMaster found it common there. Hume saw large numbers in 

 Manipur, and Yidal observed Wigeons numerous in some years 

 near Katnagiri. 



Habits, c. Wigeon may be found in large flocks or scattered 

 parties, or even singly, keeping much to the larger pieces of water, 

 and as common near the sea-coast as inland. They are seldom 

 seen on rivers or on tanks of moderate or small size ; they differ 

 from the true Ducks also in grazing on land like Creese, and in 

 having a peculiar whistling note ; they feed on grass, aquatic 

 plants, insects, Crustacea, and mollusca. In India Wigeon are, as 

 a rule, inferior in flavour to the best ducks, such as Mallard, Teal, 

 Pintail, and Pochard, and are often muddy, coarse, or fishy ; still 

 they are, at times, excellent. They are not known to breed 

 within Indian limits. 



Genus DAFILA, Leach apud Stephens, 1824. 



This genus may be recognized by its elongate form, long neck, 

 and lengthened and pointed middle tail-feathers. There are 16 

 rectrices as a rule (I have found one skin with 18). The bill is 

 rather narrower than in Anas and a little broader towards the 

 point than at the base ; the wings are long and pointed. It is a 

 well-marked type. 



Three species are referred to this genus : of these two are 

 confined to the Southern hemisphere ; the third is Indian. 



1600. Dafilaacuta. The Pintail. 



Anas acuta, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 202 (1766) ; Blyth, Birds Burm. 

 p. 166 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 1076; Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 593. 



Dafila acuta, Blyth, Cat. p. 304 ; Adams, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 190 ; 

 Jerdon, B. I. 'iii. p. 803 ; Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xli, pt. 2, p. 255 ; 

 Hume, S. F. i, pp. 136, 261 ; Adam, S. F. ii, p. 338 ; Godw.-Aust. 

 J. A. S. B. xliii, pt. 2, p. 176 ; Hume, S. F. iii, p. 193 ; Butler, 

 S. F. iv, p. 29 ; v, p. 234 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 489 ; Ball, 

 S. F. vii, p. 232 ; Cripps, ibid. p. 312 ; Hume, ibid. p. 493 ; id. 

 Cat. no. 962 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 362 ; Hume $ Marsh. Game B. 

 iii, p. 189, pi. ; Vidal, S. F. ix, p. 92 ; Butler, ibid. p. 438 : Reid, 

 S. F. x, p. 82 ; Davidson, ibid. p. 326 ; Hume, ibid. p. 418 ; Taylor, 

 ibid. p. 531 ; Gates, B. B. ii, p. 279 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 407 ; 

 Hume, S. F. xi, p. 345 ; Gates, Ibis, 1888, p. 73 ; St. John, Ibis, 

 1889, p. 179 ; Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxvii, p. 270. 



Sanh, Sink-par, H. (N. W.P.) ; Kokarali, Drighush, Sind ; Dig-hdns, 

 Sho-lon-cho, Beng. ; Digunch, Nepal ; Nanda, Nanja, Uriya ; Laitunga, 

 Manipur. 



