on the Birds of South-eastern China. 379 



Anser cinereus. 



Anser rubrirostris Hodgs. ; Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxvii. 

 p. 91. 



Gray Lag Geese occur every wiuter in small flocks^ and 

 have been noticed on the coast and islands, and on the river 

 as well. They usually arrive in November and December, 

 and appear to move to the north again in March. 



The only specimen shot was a solitary bird, killed on 

 the river above Shiu Hing, twenty miles above Samshui. On 

 March 4^ a Chinaman was seen stalking a small flock of 

 these birds on Shia Po marsh, and to aid him in this difficult 

 proceeding he had arranged a kind of bow of wood, in the 

 centre of which lay the muzzle of his gun, with small green 

 twigs all round on the arc of the bow^ to provide him with 

 suitable cover, whilst he, the Celestial, wriggling along on 

 his belly, pushed the whole affair before him. 



In northern China, at any rate until quite recently, the 

 wild Geese would allow a native to walk within twenty 

 yards of them. 



Dendrocygna javanica. 



The Smaller Whistling Teal was observed on several 

 occasions during the summer months, but there was no 

 evidence that the species bred, and it should perhaps be 

 looked up on as an accidental summer visitor. 



At Fa Wan, tw^enty miles from Samshui, on July 23, 

 two males of this species were obtained from a lotus pond, 

 and ten others were seen at the same time. Because of their 

 habit of diving and returning to the surface in the air-space 

 under a floating lotus-leaf, these birds were retrieved with 

 considerable difficulty. On August 3 a flock of twenty 

 birds was seen on the same pond, and Staff-Surgeon 

 C. E. Cortis Stanford, R.N., shot a female. On July 16, 

 when proceeding up the Great Rapids, in western Kwang Si, 

 one was flushed from a small island. 



Anas boscas. 



The Mallard is an unusual winter visitor to the West 

 River, and has been once shot near Samshui, 



