MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 685 



iull on the 8tb September. On the third of September one gun obtained 

 over 20 conple. On 10th I was out with a friend and we only got 16 

 <3ouple between us. This was at a place about seven miles north of the 

 famous Kanchrapara Jlieel ; the day was wet and cold, and also there was 

 a strong wind blowing all the time. These two bags were entirely com- 

 posed of Pintail. 



I did not shoot again that month, but heard of some quite nice bags 

 from those jheels. As far as 1 could discover they all were Pintail. I 

 visited the same jheel on the 15th October, Just a week after the full moon. 

 I was alone and got 10 couple of Pintail and 2 couple of Fantail, also 2 

 brace of Golden Plover. There were 4 other parties on the same jheel that 

 day and their bags were as follows : — 



2 Guns . . . . . . 10 couple. 



4 Guns . . . , . . 24 couple, 



3 Guns . : . . . . 24 couple. 

 2 Guns . , . . . . 12 couple. 



I examined these bags and found practically no Fantail among them. 

 1 shot nearly all my birds at midday in the shade of trees and bushes at 

 the edge of the paddy fields. 



I have not been out myself this month, but I have heard that all the 

 old spots are now empty, and that nearly all the birds shot are Fantail. 

 These presumably came in with the moon which was full on the 8th of 

 November. 



1 have not heard of any large bags this year ; in fact, most of them seem- 

 ed to be remarkably small for this part of the country. 



There are, however, thousands of birds exposed daily for sale in the 

 Calcutta Market all of which are sent in from places in the neighbourhood. 

 Unfortunately I shall not be here when the Snipe migrate north again. 

 Personally I can see no difference between the flight or cry of these two 

 varieties of Snipe. 



0. R. S. PITMAN, 



27th Punjabis. 

 Alipore, Calctttta, 14:th November 1911. 



No. XXXIV.— OOCUPtRENOE OF THE NUKHTA OR COMB-DUCK 

 {SARCIDIORNIS MELANONOTA) IN SIND. 



It may be of interest to record the occurrence of the Nukhta {Sarcidi- 

 ornis melanonota) in Sind. A couple were shot at Khahi Dhand, Sujawal, 

 Karachi District, on December 27th, 1911, a male by Mr. S. R. Arthur, 

 I.C.S., and a female by myself. A flight of six was also observed on the 

 same day by several members of the party. The local fishermen appeared 

 to be acquainted with the bird, which they called " hanj," the ordinary 



