190 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XI 



considerable circuit, she came back to the jhil on the banks of which 

 we were standing. Two more bullets were fired at her from the same 

 gun, which only made her rise after each shot and settle down again 

 some ten yards further on. Seeing that her tactics had failed in draw- 

 ing us away from the vicinity of her young, she again took to the grass 

 jungle, and all endeavours to flush her again proved futile, though she 

 was observed in the same piece of water subsequently." 



What a pity Shillingford has not given us some details concerning 

 all their nests he seems to have found and also of the numerous eggs 

 he obtained ; whether they were like those he sent to Hume, or whe- 

 ther they were like most other ducks' eggs. He did send five eggs to 

 Hume, one of which was, I believe, taken by himself and the others 

 by Mr. T. Hill of Jeruneah Factory in Purneah. 



Of these five eggs Hume remarks : " The eggs are quite unlike 

 those of any other duck with which I am acquainted. In shape they 

 are very nearly spherical — indeed, one is almost a perfect sphere. 



* The shell is very close and compact, but not particularly smooth 

 or satiny to the touch, and is entirely devoid of gloss. 



" In colour it is a dull, nearly pure white, with here and there traces 

 of an exceedingly faint yellowish motling, probably the result of dirt. 

 Even held up against the light, the shell is white, with scarcely a 

 peroeptible ivory tinge. 



" The five eggs sent me by Mr. Shillingford measure as follows : 

 l-82"xl-7"; 1'78"X1'68"; r8"xP62"; l'71"xl*69"; r81"xl"61". 



" There is no possible doubt now that these eggs, taken at two 

 different times by two different persons, are really the eggs of the Pink- 

 headed Duck, but at the same time it must be admitted that they are 

 eggs which no one versed in oology could, without positive proof, have 

 acoepted as pertaining to this species." 



All observers, who have recorded their observations otherwise than 

 anonymously, ooncur in stating this duck to be one of enclosed waters, 

 and it seems to prefer such as are well covered with jungle and weeds 

 of sorts and surrounded by high grass, forest, etc. It is probably 

 found sometimes on the open rivers, but this only in the cold weather 

 and very rarely even then. As a rule, it oollects in but small parties, 

 and I should think, very probably, that these are only of the mem-i 

 bers of one family, though two or three of these may now and then 



