150 JOURNAL, BOMB A 7 NA TOR A L HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol XL 



the same way as— after a single experience of their nature — he is accus- 

 tomed to treat the offer of a burning cigar-end or a lighted match. 



Whenever now I show him this grasshopper (Aularches miliaris), he first 

 endeavours to move off ; but if he is compelled to face it, he rises and strikes 

 one's hand such a hearty cuff that the insect is knocked out of one's grasp. 



The bear also has a certain amount of objection to a very large spiny- 

 legged species of Acridium and to a species of Euprepocnemis nr. robustd 

 Serv. with spiny legs, if these are offered to him alive and with their legs 

 intact. In these cases the dislike is not to the insect, but only to its hard 

 spiny legs, and it is not accompanied by any gesture of fear or apprehension, 

 for it is these emotions, rather perhaps, than blind anger that the bear's cuff 

 seems to be meant to express. 



I may mention that the bear lives, as far as possible, in a state of nature. 

 It is never confined, and is only chained up when nobody can be spared to 

 watch it. 



I offer this note as a simple record of fact. Sb far as it goes, it appears to 

 support the almost universally-accepted, though now by no means unques- 

 tioned, beliefs (1) that when an insect has been found by experience to be 

 unpleasant to (taste and) smell, it has only to be seen to be avoided, and 

 (2) that any conspicuous markings that lead to the immediate recognition of 

 such an insect by eyesight and at a distance are likely to be of such vital 

 benefit to the insect as to be acted on by natural selection. 



A. ALCOCK, M.B., C.M.Z.S., 

 Superintendent of the Indian Museum. 



(The above appeared in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.') 



No. V THE WHITE-FACED DUCK (ERISMATURA 



LEUCOCEPHALA). 



On the 27th December, 1896, three ducks of a peculiar description were shot 

 in the Ganges Kadar, about 20 miles south of Roorkee. Major J. C. P. Onslow, 

 E.E., shot two, and Lieutenant H. D. B. Campbell^ R.E., shot one, which, 

 however, was not picked up. We were a party of five in camp, and in the 

 evening the ducks were examined, but none of us had ever seen a duck of 

 this description. It was thought, however, that there would be no difficulty 

 in identifying the birds from Hume and Marshall's book, "The Game Birds 

 of India." On returning to Eoorkee on the 28th December, I referred to the 

 book and found that the only bird answering at all to the description was 

 the white-faced or stiff -tailed duck {Erismatura leucocephala). Unfortunately 

 the birds had not been skinned, nor had the heads been kept. So I have 

 to rely upon my memory for the description. 



The chief points about the duck were the peculiar bill, very broad and 

 swollen at the base, and the absurdly short wings giving it the appearance 

 almost of deformity. The bill was dark-coloured as far as I can recollect. 



