398 TADORNIN^E. 



black, glossed green externally, purplish within ; face, back of 

 head, and whole neck and under parts pure white, with a black 

 collar round the lower part of the neck ; flanks white, with 

 fine zig-zag brown lines ; vent and under tail-coverts mottled, 

 dusky and white. 



The female is duller and more brown, above faintly glossed ; 

 the primaries want the white patch ; the sides of the rump 

 and upper tail-coverts are pale brown ; the top of the head is 

 dusky, and there is a dark stripe through the eyes ; the neck 

 is mottled with dusky lines, the under parts are dirty white, 

 the flanks pale brown, and under tail-coverts whitish. 



This miniature Goose is not uncommon in suitable localities 

 (weed-grown tanks and j heels) in the Deccan ; it is far more 

 common in Central India and parts of Raj pu tana, but I cannot 

 find any record of its occurrence in Guzerat, neither does it occur 

 in Sind. 



It is a permanent resident, breeding in July and August. 



The eggs, ten or twelve in number, are generally placed 

 in holes in trees ; they are oval in shape, of a delicate ivory- 

 white color, and measure 17 inches in length by about 1*29 in 

 breadth. 



SUB-FAMILY, Tadorninse. 



Bill more or less raised at the base, and flattened towards the 

 tip ; plumage more or less rufous. 



GENUS, Dendrocygna, Sivs. 



Bill rather large, lengthened, of uniform width, slightly ele- 

 vated at the base ; wings short, broad, rounded ; second, third, 

 and fourth primaries sub-equal and longest ; secondaries long ; 

 tarsus long and stout ; feet large ; hind-toe rather long. 



Dendrocygna javanica, Horsf. 



952. D. awsuree, Sykes. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, 

 p. 789 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 27 ; 

 Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 436 ; Murray's Verte- 

 brate Zoology of Sind, p. 287 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. , 

 III,* p. 110; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India, Ibis, 1885, 

 p. 137. 



THE WHISTLING TEAL. 

 Length, 16 to 17'45 ; expanse, 27'25 to 30'3 ; wing, 7 to 



8-04 ; tail, 2*3 to 3'02 ; tarsus, T6 to T92 ; bill from gape, 17 to 



2-06 ; weight, 1 to 1 J Ibs. 



Bill blackish ; irides brown ; orbits bright-yellow ; legs and 



feet dark plumbeous. 



Head and occiput dull wood-brown ; face, ears, and neck, pale 



whity-brown, becoming darker on the back of the neck and 



upper back, and faintly edged with pale rusty; back and 



scapulars dusky-black, broadly edged with rusty-brown ; rump 



