310 FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS OF 



maturity, they would go off for the greater part of the day to 

 the paddy fields, returning home just before sunset. All night 

 they used to remain on the roof of one of the large jute 

 godowns in the compound. Of a stormy night, whenever there 

 was a flash of lightning, I could see the pair on the roof with 

 their wings half open to steady themselves and heads pointing 

 to windward. They could have come under shelter had they a 

 mind to do so. A wretched native shot the male, and a few days 

 after the female disappeared. 



940. — Anastomus oscitans, Bodd. 



19t7i June 1878, Male.— Expanse, 59'50 ; wing, 16*75 ; tail, 

 7 -50 ; tarsus, 6*25 ; bill from gape, 6'40 ; at front, 6*30. Legs 

 fleshy, with a good many patches of scurf ; claws black ; irides 

 brown ; bill, basal portion of under side of lower mandible 

 dusky blue ; rest of bill blackish ; rest of bill greenish ashy, 

 deeply tinged with red on tip of lower mandible ; eyelids 

 purplish. 



These birds are pretty common from March to September, 

 but whether they breed in the district or not I cannot say. In 

 Sylhet I have seen them in flocks in the cold weather. The ashy- 

 coloured birds are in excess of the white ones, (v. Bingham, 

 S. F., IV, 213). 



941. —Ibis melanocephala, Lath. 



A cold weather visitant, frequenting pools of water and 

 marshes. In March I have seen flocks of 30 or 40. This is just 

 prior to migrating. 



943.— Falcinellus igneus, Gmel. 



Small parties seen occasionally during the rains. On the 18th 

 May 1878, while out shooting on the Chapadahoo Beel, I saw a 

 flock of 8 of these birds fly overhead about 150 yards up, so 

 that I am certain of the identification. 



949. — Anser indicus, Grnelin. 



I observed small parties of this species flying overhead on 

 two or three occasions, but they were out of range. In the Gan- 

 ges river, which runs past the northern boundary of the district, 

 they are found in flocks in the cold weather. In the adjoining 

 district of Dacca I have shot A. cinereus in company with this 

 species. I have never come across these Geese feeding in the 

 paddy fields of a morning, as they are in the habit of doing 

 in Behar. 



