INDIAN DUCKS AND THEIR ALLIES. 571 



to 1'6". The average of 80 eggs taken by me is however larger and 

 measures l'89"x 1*52". 



The duck is a very close sitter and will not move from her eggs until 

 very closely approached, indeed she may sometimes be caught by hand. 

 Mr. Brooks thus caught a duck on her nest which was placed at the 

 bottom of a hollow in a dead stump. 



The drake keeps much to the tree where the nest is } and spends 

 much of his time alongside his mate on the nearest comfortable perch, 

 but I have never been able to ascertain whether he assists in the 

 incubation. 



In different parts of the country they breed from late June up to 

 September. In Eastern Bengal principally in July ; in West Bengal 

 late July and early Augusfc ; in Western India later still. Barnes says 

 that in Rajputana they breed in August aud September. 



In Ceylon it is one of the birds that does not alter its habits of 

 breeding much, and there they lay in June and July. 



Genus TADORNA. 

 This genus consist of two species, one of which has a wide range 

 throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, and the other being confined to 

 Australia, the Moluccas, and Papuan Islands. The male bird possesses a 

 fleshy knob at the base of the upper mandible, which is highly developed 

 during the breeding season. 



17. Tadorna cornuta. 

 The Sheldrake. 

 Tadorna cornuta. Hume, " Str. Feath.," I, p. 260 ; id., " Str. 

 Feath.," VII, p. 492 ; VIII, p. 115 ; id:, Catalogue, No. 956 ; Hume 

 and Marshall, " Game Birds," III, p. 136 ; Barnes, " Birds of 

 Bombay," p. 400 ; Salvadori, " Cat. of Birds of British Museum," 

 XXVII, p. 171. 



Tadorna valpanser. Jerdon, " Birds of India," III, p. 794. 

 Description : Adult Male. — " Head and upper part of the neck dark 

 glossy green ; round the lower neck a broad white collar ; a band of 

 rich chestnut covers the upper part of the back, the space before the 

 bend of the wing and the upper part of the breast ; remainder of the 

 back, rump and upper tail coverts white ; scapulars black except the 

 inner ones, which are white ; a baud along the middle of the breast and 

 belly dark brown ; sides and flanks white ; under tail coverts rufous ; 



