164 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 
The Whistling Teal is also common here throughout the year, 
and breeds, though not in any great numbers. They breed 
here chiefly in the thick grass on the bheels, and do not, I 
think, frequent trees much—at least I have never seen one on a 
tree. This season, owing to there being little water on the 
bheels, all the Whistling Teal disappeared about the end of 
November, and have not put in an appearance again yet. In 
1879-80, the Whistling Teal were in enormous numbers in 
November and December. 
I have seen flocks of at least 2,000. They were very 
wild, and the only way we could get at them was by standing 
up to our waists in water, and sending boats round to drive; in 
this way they gave very pretty shooting. 
The larger Whistling Teal is by no means uncommon here. 
The season of 1879-80, self and a friend used to shoot on an 
average at least once a week all through the season, and we 
frequently killed the larger Whistling Teal ; for twenty common 
Whistling Teal we would get about three or four larger Whistling 
Teal. This last season we have not killed any, though we have 
shot regularly all through the season. Whether or not they 
breed here I am unable to say, but I expect a few do. 
The Ruddy Sheldrake is fairly common here, usually seen 
in pairs or small parties of four or five. I have never seen 
them in large flocks, though a friend tells me that in the 
cold weather of 1878 he frequently saw them in large 
flocks here. They are fearfully wary birds, chiefly frequenting 
small pools, and in a flat country like this you may imagine 
they are not very easily circumvented. They arrive here about 
the end of October, and leave about the end of March. 
The Common Sheldrake is, I fancy, a very rare bird here. I 
have killed one this season, and the boatmen who were with 
me said they had never seen a duck like that before. I have 
seen altogether five. Upon the first occasion, upon which I saw 
this duck, there were four of them, and I managed to kill one 
at very long range. (This was on January 9th, 1881), The 
remaining three settled about a quarter of a mile off on the 
mud, but I could not get within shot again. On March 6th, I 
saw one of these birds. He was swimming about on a small 
pool, with some Common Teal, but was very wary, and though 
I did my best, I could not get a shot. 
Shovellers, Pintails, Common and Blue-winged Teal are all 
fairly numerous from December to about the beginning of 
March. Here they are all very wild—the Shoveller, I think, 
being least so. 
With regard to Snipe I think the Fantails predominate in 
the early part of the season, and the Pintails at the end. The 
Snipe we are getting now in scrub jungle are all Pintails almost 
