INDIAN DUCKS AND THEIR ALLIES. 581 



preference to sandy tanks and churs, should such be in the vicinity, 

 though he may visit the former now and then to feed. 



The bird has been frequently tamed and becomes very domesticated. 

 Some writers, Hume amongst them, speak well of their character under 

 suoh circumstances, and say that they are gentle and forbearing to other 

 ducks which may be sharing their captivity. Mr. Finn, however, says 

 that, from what he knows of it " It is by no means the gentle and 

 inoffensive bird in captivity that Hnme makes it, but is decidedly ill- 

 conditioned and given to persecuting other water-fowl." Everyone 

 knows the legend about the Brahminy which is supposed by the natives 

 to account for only two birds being generally found together. They are 

 supposed to be inhabited by the souls of lovers who have sinned. Once 

 two lovers who were prevented from marriage by their parents, deter- 

 mined to take the matter into their own hands and risk the displeasure 

 of the gods. Eventually the lady escaped from supervision and went 

 straight to her lover who was awaiting her, but they enjoyed their 

 liberty only for twenty-four hours, for the nest night they were changed 

 into Brahminy ducks and were condemned ever to keep on opposite 

 sides of the stream, and though they were allowed to speak to one another 

 and to ask if they might come, the other was forced ever to reply in 

 the negative. Hume ridicules the legend and says he has never met a 

 native who had heard of it ; all I can say is that I have repeatedly. 



At night, when feeding, the birds will often wander far apart, and 

 may be heard calling to one another in their short dissyllabic notes 

 which are rendered by the natives into " Chakwi shall I come" 

 "No Chakwa" and then " Chakwa shall I come" with the reply 

 "No Chakwi" 



The. Hindustani words for these questions and answers are not at all 

 unlike their notes which are loud and resonant, far more goose- than 

 duck-like in their character. Elliot, Pallas, Jerdon, etc., syllabalise 

 it as a-oung, others as conk, conk ; perhaps a combination of these two 

 into a-onk gives as good an idea of the note as any other accumulation 

 of letters. 



They are good swimmers as well as quick and agile divers, but do not 

 seem to be able to keep under water long, nor do they appear to ever 

 attempt to conceal themselves under water. On the wing they are 

 decidedly strong, but are noisy risers though not slow ones. The 



