MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 599 



XVII.— THE PINK-HEADED DUCK {RKODONESSA 

 CAllYOFHYLLACEA, Lath.) IN THE PUNJAB. 



On 21st March last Mr. R. B. Whitehead, i.c.s., and myself were out 

 observing on the sandbanks and islands of the River Sntlej just about the 

 headworks of the Sirhind Canal at Rupar in Ambala district when we came 

 across two curious ducks. They were sitting on the edge of an island by 

 the water in company with some half dozen Common Cormorants (Phalacfo- 

 corax carbo), and were less shy than the Cormorants, remaining on the sand 

 after the latter had flown away at our approach. Unfortunately our 

 attempt to secure one was hindered by my fox terrier who chased the 

 quarry and although we followed them to two or three different places 

 where they settled either on sandbanks or in shoals we failed to secure one. 

 As far as could be seen with the naked eye and glasses of moderate 

 power these ducks were little inferior in size to a goose, of a brownish 

 colour with a good deal of white in the wings, and head and upper portion 

 of the neck of a most noticeable rose-pink colour. I have never had an 

 opportunity of seeing the Pink-headed Duck in life before or of examining 

 a skin, but feel certain that these two birds were of that species. I know 

 of nothing else that they could be, but the size and body colour seem a 

 little wrong : however it may be remembered that the estimation of size is a 

 difficult matter on these wide expanses of sand and water, while the light- 

 ness of colour might be due to worn and faded plumage as mentioned by 

 Mr. Stuart-Baker in his account of the species.' At any rate I am so 

 satisfied myself of the identity of the birds seen that it seems worth while to 

 record the occurrence of so rare a species in the Punjab. 



HUGH WHISTLER, m.b.o.u,, 

 Amballa City, Punjab, Indian Police. 



29a March 1916. 



No. XVIII.— OCCURRENCE OF THE WHITE-HEADED OR 



STIFF-TAIL DUCK {ERISMATURA LEUCOCEPHALA) 



IN THE KOHAT DISTRICT. 



Four of these ducks were seen on the Dand Idal Khel Jheel on the 12th 

 February, three of which were shot. The late Major Whitehead, in his list of 

 Birds of Kohat and Kurram in the "Ibis" for April 1909, mentions this bird 

 as having been seen on the same jheel in November 1906 and February 

 1907. 



F. M. BAILEY, Capt. 



Kohat, 26a March 1916. 



No. XIX.— BRONZE-CAPPED TEAL {EUNETTA FALCATA) 

 IN THE PUNJAB. 



It may be of interest to record the fact that I shot a female Bronzed- 

 capped Teal (Eunetta falcata) on a " jhil" near Bhagoke in the Zira Taksi 

 of the Ferozepore District on the 27th November 1915. This is the first 

 time I have seen this duck in this District. Other ducks, in the same 

 morning's bag, were Mallard, Shoveller, Widgeon, Gadwall and Pochard. 



H. W. WAITE, 



Asstt. Supdt. of Police. 

 Fekozepokk, 29a Jan, 1916. 



