LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 501 



I can't remember now whether the neck patches were white 

 or bufFy, but from the manner in which it was set up, it cer- 

 tuiulj gave me the idea of having- been mounted in England. 



E. A. Butler. 



Sir, 



Referring to Dr. Scully's excellent paper on the Birds 

 of Nepal, S. F., VIII., 355, in which he alludes to a former 

 paper of mine on Gallinayo sthenura, I can only say now, 

 having had ample opportunities of studying the species in this 

 neighbourhood, where it is abundant, about one-half of the 

 snipe killed this season being Pintails, that I can fully endorse 

 all that has been written on the subject both by himself and 

 Mr. Hume, S. F., II., 294 ; V. 214 ; and YIIL, 355. 



The richly barred under wing-coverts, which are so very 

 different to the same feathers in gallinaria, are sufficient to 

 enable any person at a glance to distinguish the two species 

 without referring to the other points of distinction mentioned, 

 viz., lateral tail feathers and length of bill sex for sex, which, 

 however, are equally constant and infallible. 



The number of narrow lateral tail feathers, as pointed out 

 already, certainly does vary from six to nine on each side. 



At the time that my remarks were written, S. F., V., 212, I 

 was not as familiar with the bird as I am now, neither did I 

 refer to Mr. Hume's notes on the subject (Vol. II., 294), the 

 reference having, by some accident, been omitted in the index. 



E. A. Butler. 



(Reprint.) 

 To the Editor of the " Asian." 



Dear Sir, 



There is no Indian non-migratory Duck of which 

 so little is known as of Anas caryojphyllacea, the Pink-headed 

 Duck. 



Through the medium of your columns, I venture to solicit 

 information in regard to it from all who may chance to know 

 anything definite about it. 



Jerdon says : — 



" This very lovely Duck is most common in parts of Bengal, 

 but is found at times throughout Northern India ; is rare in 

 the North-Western Provinces, and still more so in Central and 

 Southern India. I have procured it rarely as far south as 



