Contributions to the Ornithology of India, 8fc. 97 



as a rule, I believe, this species prefers tanks and swamps to rivers. 

 Hitherto, all the geese we have seen have been with one excep- 

 tion A. indicits, but towards evening-, we came upon a huge flock 

 (out of which I obtained eight,) containing a large admixture of 

 A. cinereus. One of these latter weighed 8 lbs. I saw several 

 large parties of mallard and bagged twelve. Also two small parties 

 of the common teal of which I shot nine, but saw no other ducks 

 excepting Brahminies. A few Sterna javanica and Seen'i aur- 

 antia. We have not seen a single gull since we started, thou<i'h 

 a single Larus ridihundiis was shot at the Jhelum bridge the day 

 before we arrived. Exactly at this time of year at Fazilka, on 

 the Sutlej, I once shot two, and saw several Larus icMhyatus. 



'•IWi. — En route to Jung. Before starting, saw a few Alaudula 

 Adamsi (nobis) on the sands, and a number of Brymoipus lotigi- X' 

 eaudatus in the scanty fields. Along the river innumerable cranes, 

 of which we killed six, and might have obtained many more. 

 A few mallard were seen and killed, and also a few teal ; a party 

 oi Nwnenius lineatus feeding at the water's edge; and in one 

 place we came upon a huge collection of green shanks and the 

 lesser red shanks, almost all asleep on one leg at the water's edge; 

 and with them were associated a number of stilts {K. intermedins, 

 Bl.,) while a very few terns, 8. javanica, were dotted about in 

 amongst them. There were probably between three and four hun- 

 dred birds sitting almost as closely as they could pack. Later in 

 the day we came upon other parties of mallard, of which we got 

 thirteen, and a huge flock of geese, of which I got seven, one of 

 which proved to be Anser cinereus. I notice, as I often have before, 

 that the larger birds of this species have the lower surface much 

 mottled with large black patches. The whistle of our Indian 

 curlew does not strike one as nearly so loud, round, or full, as 

 that of our well-known English birds. In England where the 

 wild geese are so wary, it seems odd enough that these birds 

 should have been selected as types of stupidity, but here they 

 are the tamest of all waterfowl. Flocks which during the night 

 feed in the fields, sit all day on sandbanks by the water's edge, 

 and allow a boat to drift almost on to them before they move. 

 When still about a hundred yards off, the flock is seen to be group- 

 ed in a dense mass, fully half are asleep, a few are standing at 

 the water's edge drinking slowly, raising the head at each gulp, 

 and the rest are standing gazing listlessly about ; as the boat 

 approaches, a general low cackling takes place, a good manv of 

 the sleepers get up and begin to look about, and a few of those 

 already on their legs begin to waddle away from the water's 

 edge. As you approach nearer, all begin to walk slowly away, and 

 as a rule, if you persist in coming within twenty yards, and 



