AVES. 129 



& Marsh. Game Birds of India, iii. p. 123 (1880) ; Bidd. Ibis, 1881, p. 99; C. Swinli. Ibis, 1882, 

 p. 121; Scully, J. A. S. Beng. Ivi. p. 89 (1887) ; Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. (2) Zool. v. p. 91 (1889). 

 Anas rutila, Severtz. Turkest. Jevotn. p. 70 (1873) . 



Tadorna rutila, Dresser, Ibis, 1876, p. 419. * 



Tadorna casarca (L.) ; Severtz. Ibis, 1883, p. 76; Gates in Hume's Nests and Eggs, iii. p. 286 (1890). 



Dr. Henderson writes :—'' The Brahminy Duck or Ruddy Sheldrake was first noticed at 

 the hot springs ahove Gokra, at an elevation of 16,000 feet ; there they were seen on the 

 small lakes at the salt plain, and all along the Karakash Eiver. The young were at that 

 time (July) scarcely able to fly; when approached, the mother made them all dive by 

 swimming and flapping on to each of them as soon as it showed itself above the water. The 

 mother also pretended to be wounded, and lay on the w^ater every now and then, with wings 

 spread out as if unable to fly. All along the Karakash Valley, and also on the high table- 

 land wherever there was water overhung by clilTs, there numbers of Brahminy Ducks with 

 broods of young ones were seen, and holes in these cliff's plastered over wdth droppings were 

 pointed out by the Kirghiz as the places in which they had bred. The local name is 

 ' ngooroo ngaugpa.' " 



Dr. Scully gives the following note :—'' The Buddy Sheldrake was observed in the plains 

 of Kashgharia in the beginning of winter, and from March to August it was exceedingly 

 plentiful in the lakes and swamps, of Sughuchak, near Yarkand. Many young birds were 

 unable to fly, usually swimming about with the old female bird. In July I saw a party of 

 about ten of these Ducks among some rushes ; they had a sentinel bird placed at some little 

 distance from the main flock, and on seeing me approach he gave a sort of warning cry which 

 seemed to put his party on the alert ; when I got a few steps nearer the watcher gave a loud 

 scream and flew up, followed by the rest of the party. This bird seems to walk very easily on 

 dry land, and always in a curiously erect manner. The Yarkandis say that this species migrates 

 to India in winter, and that the eggs are laid in some dry place away from water ; as soon 

 as the young bird emerges from the egg, the mother seizes it and puts it into the water. 

 The Turki name for the Brahminy Duck is ' Rangghut,' pronounced ' Hangat.' " 



Colonel Biddulph noticed one of these Sheldrakes going into a hole in precipitous cliffs 

 about a hundred feet above the Sarikol plain on the 11th of May, and beheves that the species 

 was breeding there. 



Genus BR ANT A. 



295. Branta rufina. 



Branta rufina (Pall.); Scully, Str. F. iv. p. 201 (1876); Bidd. Ibis, 1881, p. 100; Hume & Marsh. 



Game-Birds of India, iii. p. 253, pi. 34; Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. (2) Zool. v. p. 90 (1889). 

 Fuligula rufina, Severtz. Turkest. Jevotn. p. 70 (1873) ; Dresser, Ibis, 1876, p, 421 ; Blanf. East. Persia, 



ii. p. 301 (1876) ; C. Swinh. Ibis, 1882, p. 125. 



Met with by Dr. Scully, who says that it was not observed in winter, but was very 

 common near Yarkand during the summer. It is only a seasonal visitant to Kashgharia, 

 where it breeds. The Turki name is " Kizil hash aurdak,'' i, e. the " Bed-headed Duck." 



