198 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
near Maralbashi, but not in the immediate vicinity of Yarkand ; 
young birds were captured about the beginning of June. 
Two eggs of Anser cinereus (laid by a captive bird with cut 
wings) were obtained on the Ist and 12th June. They are 
spotless white, with an ivory tinge; glossless or faintly glossy in 
parts; and of a compact texture. In shape they are moderate- 
ly long ovals, broadest about the centre, and measure 3:37 by 
2°33 and 3-21 by 2°21. 
It was curious to observe how readily birds GPalties species got 
tame ; even old birds, who had only had their wings Pe ‘by 
a bullet, soon became: quite friendly and familiar. The Turks 
eall this Goose by the Persian name Ghaz. 
954.—Casarca rutila, Pallas. 
2. Yarkand, 9th March.—ULength, 24; expanse, 44°75; 
wing, 13°75; tail, 58; tarsus, 2°25 ; bill, from gape, 2; weight, 
2lbs. 138°5 oz. Bill, legs, feet, and claws, black; irides, dark 
brown. 
9. Yarkand, 11th April.—Length, 23; expanse, 43°5; 
wing, 13:25; tail, 5°5; tarsus, 2°0; bill, from gape, 2°1; closed 
wings fall short of tail, 0°25; weight, 2lbs. 4°75 oz. Bill, legs, 
feet, and claws, black; irides, very dark muddy brown. 
All the toes of the left foot were wanting in this specimen, and 
the tarsus terminated in a rounded stump, smoothly covered over 
by white cicatricial tissue. This condition was evidently the 
result of some injury sustained a long time before I got the bird. 
9. Juv. Yarkend, 18th June.—Length, 19; expanse, 27 ; 
wing, 6; tail, 3:7; tarsus, 2:3; bill, from gape, 1°9; closed 
wings short of tail, 4; weight, lb. 30z. Bill, greenish dusky ; 
irides, dark brown; legs, yellowish green; feet, mixed dusky and 
greenish; claws, dusky. 
The Ruddy Shieldrake was observed in the plains of Kash- 
‘ gharia in the beginning of winter, and from March to August it 
was exceedingly plentiful in the lakes and swamps of Sughu- 
chak, near Yarkand. Many young birds, unable to fly, usu: rally 
swimming about with the ‘old female bird. In July Lsawa 
party of about ten of these Ducks among some rushes; they had 
a sentinel bird placed at some little distance from the main flock 
and on seeing me approach he gave a sort of warning cry which 
seemed to put his party on “the alert; when I got a few steps 
nearer the watcher gavea loud serezm and flew up, followed by 
the rest of the party. This bird seems to walk very easily on 
dry land and always in a curiously erect manner. 'T Phe Yarkandis 
say that this species migrates to India in winter, and that the 
eggs are laid in some dry place, away from water; as soon as 
the young bird emerges from the egg, the mother seizes it_and 
puts it into the water. The Turkiname for the Brahminy Duck 
is Hangghut, pronounced Hangat. 
