NETTAPODINJE. 397 



Head and neck white, spotted with glossy black ; the top of 

 the head and back of the neck mostly black ; interscapulars and 

 scapulars black, glossed \yith purple ; back ashy-grey, becoming 

 dusky on the rump ; the upper tail -coverts glossy-green ; wing- 

 coverts glossed green ; quills black ; tail black ; all the lower parts 

 pure white. The female is much smaller, less brightly colored, 

 more spotted on the neck, and she wants the fleshy boss at the 

 base of the bill. 



The Nukta or Comb Duck is more or less generally spread 

 throughout the district. In Sind it is a mere straggler, and in 

 the Deccan it is a far from common seasonal visitant, but in 

 Guzerat, Central India, and Raj pu tana it is a permanent 

 resident, breeding towards the end of the rains, in holes in trees. 

 The eggs, usually twelve in number, (Mr. Anderson speaks of 

 finding forty in a nest) are oval in shape, and are close and compact 

 in texture, and resemble polished ivory both in color and appear- 

 ance. 



They measure 2 - 3 by 1/7. 



SUB-FAMILY, Nettapodinae. 



Of small size ; bill small, high at the base. 



GENUS, Nettapus, Brandt. 



Bill small, high at the base, gradually narrowing in front ; the 

 lamellae short, distant concealed ; nostrils small near the base ; 

 wings rather short ; tail short, rounded, of twelve feathers ; tarsus 

 short ; feet long ; hind-toe short ; claws short and curved. 



Nettapus coromandelianus, Gm. 



95 l._Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 786; Butler, Deccan 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 436 ; Guzerat, Stray Feathers, Vol. ^^ - 

 IV, p. 27 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, 

 p. 137. 



THE COTTON TEAL. 



<J. Length, '12-62 to J3'5; expanse, 20'5 to 24 ; wing, 6'25 to 

 675; tail, 2'82 to 3'25 ; tarsus,!; bill, 1 to 1'25; weight, 8 to 

 11 ozs. 



5. Length, 12*5 to 12'75; expanse, 21 to 22 ; wing, 6'25 to 

 6'37 ; tail, 2'8 to 3 ; bill from gape, 1 to 1/2 ; weight, 6'2 to 9 ozs. 

 Bill black ; irides crimson ; legs and feet from light yellowish 

 to dirty sap-green. 



Top of the head black ; back, scapulars and wings richly 

 glossed with purple and green, the purple prevailing on the back 

 and scapulars ; the wing-coverts and base of the quills green ; 

 rump blackish in the middle, white at the sides ; upper tail-coverts 

 cinereous brown with pale mottlings ; tail blackish-brown ; 

 primary quills with a large white patch tipped with black 

 on their terminal half, the white gradually diminishing in 

 extent ; the secondaries only tipped with white ; tertials pure 



