294 A VES ORDER ANSERIFORMES. 



North-West Provinces, and that was at Futtehpur Sikri, near Agra, where a 

 male was perched on the lofty entrance gateway. The testimony of Mr.. A. 

 O. Hume and other Indian naturalists is to the effect that the "Co-mb 

 Duck " breeds principally in trees, and the la*te Mr. A. Anderson states that 

 the eggs are generally to be found in holes of old desiduous trees, but he has 

 also found the birds frequenting old ruined forts. He says: "I was 

 present at the capture of a female Nukta on her nest, which yielded the 

 extraordinary number of forty eggs. Of course it is just possible, 

 though highly improbable, that this may have been the joint produce of two 

 birds ; but the emaciated condition of the one captured, coupled with the 

 fact that one egg was an abnormally small one, and evidently her last effort, 

 does not favour the supposition. The tree selected was an ancient banyan 

 (Ficus indicus), which overlooked a large sheet of water several miles round. 

 The nest-hole was at an elevation of some 20 ft., 3 ft. deep and 2 in 

 circumference." One of the genera of the Plectropterince is a very interesting 

 form, viz., the Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea). The appear- 

 ance of a delicate pink head in such a family as the Anatidce. is one of the 

 most curious phenomena in the whole class of birds. Its range is confined to 

 Behar and Bengal, to the north of the Ganges and west of the Brahmapootra, 

 whence it ranges north to Nepal, east to Burma, and south to Madras. 



Some of the most interesting of the present sub-family are the Dwarf 

 Geese (Nettopus) or "Cotton-Teal," as they are generally called. They are 

 little Geese of about the size of a Bantam fowl, only found in the tropics of 

 the Old World, in Africa, India, and China, and thence south to Australia. 

 The Indian species, N. coromandelianus, nests generally in holes of trees, but 

 sometimes it is said to make "a semi-floating nest on the water, among the 

 rushes or lotus-leaves, of weeds, grass, etc , all together, filled up several 

 inches above the water-line." The late Mr. A. Anderson observes : "I once 

 had the opportunity of watching a pair in the act of selecting their habitation. 

 They invariably flew into the tree together ; and while the female used to 

 enter the hole, to reconnoitre as it were, the male sat on a bough watching 

 for her exit. No sooner did she make her appearance than they both flew 

 away together, giving utterance to a peculiar cackling sound, which has been 

 pronounced to be like the words 'Fix bayonets.' Their visits used to be 

 repeated at intervals of every fifteen or twenty minutes. The Drake never 

 went into the hole ; and I am therefore inclined to believe that he does not 

 lend his aid in the performance of the duties of incubation." One nest 

 taken by Mr. iSpry at Bredaon in August contained twelve eggs. It was 

 in a hole at no great height, but it was 3^ ft. deep, and only large enough to 

 admit of ingress and egress ; the contents had to be removed by means of an 

 iron spoon, something like a soup-ladle with an extra long handle. 



The Summer Duck (^Ex sponsa) of North America, and the beautiful 

 Mandarin Duck (j*Ex galericulata) of China compose the g^enus JEx, which is 

 the last of the Plectropterince. 



The genus Cereopsis is the sole representative of this sub-family, and is 



distinguished by its shorter hind toe and shorter tail-feathers. The bill is 



high at the base, and there is no metallic wing-speculum. 



The C^eopsis The chief peculiarity of the Cereopsis Goose is the posses- 

 Geese. Sub- sion of a cere at the base of the bill, which character 

 family Cereopsinee. separates it from the true Geese. It is an inhabitant of 

 Australia, and is often seen in captivity ; and it has been 

 known to breed in our Zoological Gardens. As Mr. Gould says, however, it 



