638 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVII. 



I notice the females mature far quicker than the 3 males. The latter are 

 scraggy and backward but far larger birds and exceedingly tame ; they follow 

 me about when I go out into the garden sketching up their necks and opening 

 their beaks wide. They come up to you and peck your legs and are very curious. 

 They cannot fly yet. The 2 females are in better plmnage and have been able to 

 fly now for the last week or so. They are shyer. This morning I noticed 

 them flying about a mile away. They disappeared out of sight and after J 

 hour came back high over the polo ground and then dropped into my garden to 

 the others. They were all sound asleep in front of my porch at the sentry's 

 feet by 11 a.m. 



This shows you how tame they get. I intend cutting the wings of the 3 males 

 and keeping them, but now the 2 females are flying about daily I cannot bring 

 myself to cut theirs; they shall have their freedom. I may say I have a fountain 

 in the garden and a small irrigation streajn they delight in. 



I have also 7 tiny Cotton Teal Avith a hen and they are doing well now. They 

 eat finely chopped raw liver and ' bajri '. These I have had now about 10 days. 

 Only 2 died — one from cold and one from being trodden on. They are 

 exquisite and delicate little things. 



No. XVI.— LARGE FLOCK OF THE COMB -DUCK {8ARGIDI0RNT.8 

 MELANONOTUS) IN THE ALLAHABAD DISTRICT OF THE U. P. 



What is the largest number of birds seen in flock of Comb-Duck {Sarcidiornis 

 melanonotus) ? On the railway journey from Naini Junction to Simla I passed 

 on the 7th September 1920, at about 1-30 p.m., between the small stations of 

 Rasulabad. and Faiz-uUah-pur, a flock of Comb-Duck. In all probability I 

 would not have noticed these birds, but I had previously seen a pair and this 



