SAMBHUR LAKE AND ITS VICINITY. 341 



With regard to the males the palest and apparently the 

 youngest bird is a faint rose color; the back nearly white; the 

 breast quite unspotted, and faint indications of what is deep rose 

 color round the upper and lower portions of the bill. The next 

 two have the rose color somewhat deeper, with a few of the 

 breast feathers tipped with cerise. The next five are all much 

 deeper colored, and have indications of the cerise breast spots, while 

 the remainder have the rose color increasing in intensity to a 

 very deep rosy, and the markings round the bill are nearly as 

 deep a cherry color as are the wing-coverts. With regard to 

 the females the youngest bird is all but white. Some of the 

 wing-coverts show the brownish black feathers of the very 

 young birds described | at page 401, Vol. I., Stray Feathers, 

 while the most of the wing-coverts, as well as the inner wino- lin- 

 ing, are of a faint rose tint. The breast is spotless, the markino-s 

 round the bill are very faint, and the legs and bill are of a deep 

 leaden ash color. In these young birds the irides are pale 

 yellow, while in the mature birds they are crimson. 



The next bird has a somewhat deeper rose tint, and a few 

 faint spots of pale cerise on the breast ; the next three are more 

 deeply colored with a few spots of cerise on the breast feathers. 

 Fourteen others show a greater or lesser number of the cerise- 

 tipped breast feathers, the fourteenth being the best marked, 

 while the remainder are unspotted and increase in coloration 

 like the males. So far as plumage goes I can distinguish no 

 difference between the males and the females. 



On all the adult birds the breadth of white or rose-colored 

 tipping (as_ the ease may be) on the cherry-colored wing- 

 coverts varies very much. In some birds it is well defined, 

 while in others it looks as if it was gradually disappearing. 



In conclusion I have to remark that not a single specimen 

 of the dusky ashy young bird, described at page 40 1 , Vol. I. 

 Stray Feathers, has this season been obtained, nor have I 

 observed any of these young birds amongst the numerous laro-e 

 flocks about the lake. 



968.— Aythya ferina, L. 



On the 21st January 1874, I observed a large flock of this 

 species on a jheel near Sambhur. 



975.— Podiceps minor, L. 



Just after the rains fledglings of this species were observed 

 in some of the tanks. 



Sambhur Lake, January 1874. 



