NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF UPPER ASSAM. 733 



as only it can during the south-west monsoon in Assam. My plight and 

 mental condition at finding the eggs hard set after all our trouble can be 

 well imagined. 



No. 3032. Iris greenish-yellow ; orbital skin bluish-grey ; bill dusky with 

 light edges under the lower mandible ; tarsus greenish-dusky. 



437. Lrobryclius sinensis (Gm.) [1571]. — The Yellow Bittern. 



Ardetta sinensis Blanfo-rd, F. B. I., Vol. iv., p. 401. 

 Rungagora, 13-5-01, c?, 28-5-03 (S . Iris yellow ; tarsus greenish-yellow. 

 Apparently not as common as /. cinnaviomea. 



438. Ixobrychus cinnamomea (Gm.) [1572]. — The Chestnut Bittern. 



Ardetta cinnamomea, Blanford, F. B. I., Vol. iv., p. 402. 

 Eungagora, 4-6-03, $ ; 25-6-03, $ ; 4-8-03, S ; 5-8-0-3 S ; North Lakh- 

 impur, 11-6-04, S ; Gogaldhubie, 13-1-05, $ . Evidently generally distribut- 

 ed although much more in evidence at the rainy season. 



439. Bupetor fiavicollis (Lath.) [1573]. — The Black Bittern. 



Equally distributed in all suitable well-watered "localities ; commonly 

 seen by day in its retiring haunts. Eungagora, Komolabari, Dejoo. 



440. Botaurus stellaris stellaris (L.) [1574]. ^The Bittern. 



Dejoo, 11-6-10, a pair of large Bitterns passed overhead this morning 

 to eventually settle in an adjacent " bhil ". No specimens have been secured, 

 but this record is most probably referable to this species. 



441. Anser anser (L.) [1579]. — Grey Lag Goose. 



Anserferus, Blanford, F.B.I. , Vol. iv., p. 416. 



Bramapootra, fifteen miles below Sadiya, 12-3-03, sex ? 

 „ Lali camp, cold season, 1904, sex ? 



Tinsukia, 30-10-02, a specimen in flesh sent in by the late Dr. Gregorson. 

 North Lakhimpur, 7-11-08*, a long line of Geese passed over the club house 

 about 5-30 p.m. flying very low in the direction of the Eunganuddie, 

 evidently had just dropped down to the plains. 



Dejoo, 22-3-10, a dark coloured Goose, flying high, eventually descending 

 in the direction of the Eunganuddie, passed overhead, calling at intervals. 

 Subansiri between Bodutti and Dhunsirimukh, 13-1-11, numbers of Geese in 

 evidence ; the orange colour of the tarsus particularly attracted my attention. 



Subansiri below Bodutti, 9-11-10, noted a party of about thirty pass 

 slowly dowai the river. 



Some of these records may refer to other species of Geese as my op- 

 portunities to secure specimens have been only limited. 



The Grey Lag is undoubtedly the Common Goose in Upper Assam. Seen 

 on occasions coming down the Subansiri Gorge, a single, 31-1-06, and has 

 been shot at Pathalipam and Joyhing. The usual difficulty is experienced 

 in getting sportsmen to even preserve the bills and tarsi so that our 

 knowledge of the distribution of these birds increases very slowly. 



442. liarcidiomis onelatiotus (Penn.) [1584]. — The Nukta. 



Sarcidiornis melanonotus, Blanford, F. B. I., Vol. iv., p. 423. 

 Komolabari, Sibsagar, 18-11-11, a few Nukta seen hereabouts on a "bhil;" 

 adjacent to the North Lakhimpur road. 



443. Asarcornis scutulata (S. Mlill;) [1585]. — The White-winged Wood- 



Duck. 

 Confined to swamps, " bhils," streams in forest, "Jans'" and ''pokris," 

 occasionally occurs in the upper^ reaches of the hill rivers in North 

 Lakhimpur. 



