172 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XL 



As already enumerated, the distinguishing features of this sub-family 

 are, a rather long hind toe, not lobed, a neck shorter than the body and 

 with, especially in the male, more or less glossy upper plumage corn- 

 Dined with comparatively long tail-feathers. In India four genera are 

 represented, although each by a single species only — indeed, two of 

 the four genera possess but one species, and are peculiar to India and 

 adjacent countries, these two being Asarcornis and Rhodonessa. 

 Genus SARCIDIORNIS. 



" This genus is separated from the other Indian genera by the presence' 

 of a spur on the shoulders of the wing." This feature was formerly 

 considered of sufficient importance to constitute as a sub-family by 

 themselves such birds as possessed it, and the Plectroptorinw are desig- 

 nated by Jerdon u Spurred Geese." Later systematists have, however, 

 added others to . this sub-family, which now contains eight genera, 

 many of which are not spurred. 



(6) Sarcidiornis melanonota. The Nukhta or Comb Duck 



Sarcidiornis melanonotus. Jerdon, " Birds of India," III, p. 785 ; 

 Hume, " Nest and Eggs," p. 636 ; Butler and Hume, " Str. Feath.," IV, 

 p. 27 ; Hume and Davison, ibid, V, p. 486 ; Hume, ibid, VII, p. 507. 

 Sarcidiornis melanonotus. Hume, " Str. Feath.," VII, p. 491 ; id. 

 ibid, VIII, p. 114; Hume's Cat., No. 950; Hume and Marshall, 

 " Game Birds of India," III, p. 92 ; Parker, " Str. Feath.," IX, 

 p. 486 ; Legge, "Birds of Ceylon," p. 1063 ; Oates, " Str. Feath.," X, 

 p. 245 ; Hume, " Nests and Eggs," (Oates' ed.), Ill, p. 282 ; Barnes' 

 " Birds of Bombay," p. 396. 



Sarcidiornis melanonota. Oates' " Birds of British Burmah," II, 

 p. 275 ; Salvadori, Cat. B. of B. Museum, XXVJI, p. 54. 



Description : Adult, male. — Head and neck white, spotted with 

 metallic black feathers, coalescing more or less upon the crown, nape 

 and hind neck ; lower neck and whole lower plumage white, tinged 

 sometimes with rufous-grey ; lower back grey ; rest of upper plumage 

 and wings black, glossed with green and blue, except on the secondaries, 

 which are glossed with bronze and the scapularies, on which the gloss 

 is purple ; tail brown ; sides of the body tinged with grey ; a black 

 mark (almost a demi-collar) on the sides of the neck, and another black 

 band in front of the under-tail coverts descending from the rump. 



