192 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. X11, 
Nyroca nyroca, is “entirely a fresh-water bird” (Vol. II, p. 321), Mr. 
Blanford, (Fauna of British India, Vol. IV, Birds, p. 461, mentions it 
as met with “in places on the sea coast,” 
It is a thing certain to me that this is the sea-duck of the Alibag Coast, just 
south of Bombay, where flocks not exceeding fifty in number were con- 
stantly to be observed every winter, during my long service on that coast, 
They generally rode just outside the surf, where they were safe from 
disturbance by passing boats, which keep further out, and I have no reason 
to suppose that they fed there, Sometimes they came into shallower water, 
and passed my boats, which were less shy of the surf than others, at very 
short distances, evidently thinking themselves pretty safe at sea, I shot few, 
as they are seldom good to eat. 
It is likely that they used the sea as a refuge during the day, and fed inland 
at night ; but I cannot be sure of this. 
I have mentioned this before in your Journal, I think, but perhaps not in 
a quotable form. 
W. F. SINCLAIR, 
Lonpon, January, 1900. 
No, XXI.—GEOGRAPHICAL RACES OF THE BANTING ; THE 
“SAPI” OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 
(With a Plate.) 
In the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1898 (p. 276) Mr. Lydek- 
ker, summing up the available information on the subject, showed the 
Burmese Banting to be quite distinct from the Javan animal, and proposed 
for the former race the name of Bos. sondaicus birmanicus, 
Mr. Lydekker adds : “ Whether it is this or the typical race that occurs in 
the Malay Perinsula I have at present no information,” 
Unlikely as it may seem, I cannot but think that it is possible that a 
third—as yet unnamed —variety inhabits the Peninsula. The evidence on the 
subject is very scanty, but all points to this conclusion, | 
A constant characteristic of both the Burmese and Javan Banting is that 
both sexes have a conspicuous white rump patch, and dirty white or yellowish- 
white “stockings”’ The peninsular race appears to have no white rump patch, 
and to show far more variation (probably dependant on age and sex) in the 
colour of the legs than is usual in animals of this group. 
The information relating to the colour of the Malayan “Sapi” which I 
have been able to collect is as follows :— 
Firstly —a description in“A Trip to Moar,” Logan’s Journal, Vol. IV, 1858, 
p. 354, by T. O. (Thomas Oxley) : 
“Tt was a young cow killed at Bukit Kupong out of a herd of nine, The 
‘Sapi’ has much the appearance of Bali cattle [domesticated Bos sondaicus, 
A.L,B.] but has not the white patch on the buttocks, The horns are small 
