532 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol, XIII. 
No. V.—ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE WHITE-WINGED WOOD 
DUCK (ASARCORNIS SCUTULATUS) IN UPPER BURMA. 
On a recent visit to Bhamo I was, through the kindness of Capt. Barnard, 
fortunate in obtaining a specimen of this rare duck which was shot by a 
sepoy of the Military Police. 
On reference to the description given by Oates in the ‘‘Game Birds of 
India,” Part II, I find that Mr. Oates has never met with, or even heard of, 
this duck in Upper Burma, or Pegu, though he conjectures it occurs through- 
out the whole eastern part of the Empire, from Assam to Tennasserim. 
The duck was brought to me on the morning of the 10th February, 
having been shot the evening previous on a swamp or jheel, about one and- 
a-half miles distant from the townof Bhamo. Capt, Barnard informed me 
that the sepoy had two days previously shot another specimen of this duck, 
The jheel is an ordinary one, with some wet cultivation near by and 
jungle not far distant, The sepoy stated that during the day no ducks 
were to be found, but that towards evening a variety of duck flighted in, 
evidently from the Irrawaddy, to feed. Onone of his evening visits, he 
observed two strange ducks ; owing, however, to their extreme shyness he 
failed to get near them. 
The ducks visited the swamp every evening, and he at last succeeded in 
getting an easy flying shot, and dropped one bird, the other flew away; two 
days iater he was lucky enough to bag the other one, This was the specimen 
brought to me. 
Description :—The head sparsely mottled with black, except on crown, 
where black predominates. The sides of the body are chestnut-brown, but 
on the abdomen the colour is dusky-rufous. In other respects the plumage 
accords with the description given in the work referred to, This is the first 
specimen of this duck I have met with—a fine bird, as large asa goose. I 
showed the bird to several Burmans, but not one of them had ever seen one 
before, and could not give me a specific name for it. | 
Though the bird was somewhat damaged, I skinned it as well as I could 
and forwarded the skin to Mr, Oates, J thought I should like to try the 
flesh, so, after I skinned the bird, I had him hung for twelve hours or so, and 
then roasted, The flesh, though not as good as that of some of the smaller 
ducks, was very palatable. 
Total length 55 As on ats bat! 
Length of wing ... a aA al es 
Do. tail xe se carr On 
Do. mandible oe mo ka 
Worht!) 1.05) se Seay cee ell nee 
MANDIBLE :—Orange-yellow, black at the base ; the nail and anterior portion 
including tomium, blackish, 
