520 F. Finn — On some noteworthy Indian Birds. [No. 2, 



tank in the Museum compound, and a pair are still living in the Duck 

 House at the Alipore Zoological Gardens, where several seem to have 

 died, as I sent more there at different times.* Some birds were lost in 

 various ways. Most of the birds observed were in immature plumage ; 

 I saw a few full-plumaged females, but no full-plumaged male. 



The immature female is very like JV. africana of the same age and 

 sex, but differs from it in the dusky crown, and the absence of any rusty 

 hue about the head except on the face. The size usually furnishes a 

 better distinction, but I have seen some unusually small, though 

 apparently clean-moulted, females, one of which is among our series 

 obtained on this occasion. This bird is not larger than adults of 

 N. africana, but is at once distinguishable by the above-noted limitation 

 of the rusty hue, and the generally dusky blackish head and neck, 

 whereon, however, are only faint indications of a green gloss. 



All the males I saw had white irides, with the exception of one in 

 which they were of a pale cloudy greenish-yellow. The white eye 

 appears early, for I have noted it in specimens which were only just 

 beginning to change the immature plumage for that of the adult. The 

 young male appears (I have no preserved specimen of a very immature 

 male) to have the same plumage as the young female. The bird on 

 the Museum tank was pinioned and turned out there on December 13th, 

 1896, when only just beginning to change, and when caught on February 

 26th, 1897, was in full plumage, or nearly so; so also were two females- 

 caught with him, which were preserved, while the male was again 

 released. Unfortunately I do not know exactly at what stage these 

 females were turned out, but I am sure they were not in full plumage. 



In all the females I saw the irides were brown, with the exception 

 of two, which had the irides grey, and a mixture of brown and white, 

 respectively. 



The bills of the males are dark grey or greyish black, with a black 

 nail and a grey patch at the tip : in the female the bill is darker, with 

 the grey patch less distinct. The feet in both sexes are grey, with dark 

 joints and black webs. 



As to the habits of this duck I have little to say. In general 

 appearance it is lighter and less " dumpy " than its near ally JV. afri- 

 cana; the head and neck and general shape are less Fuliguline than 

 in that species, and recall a Mallard somewhat. It of course swims 



* These are now dead; the species does not bear confinement in an aviary well, 

 unlike N. africana, which thrives better than any other Pochard. N. baeri is also 

 more restless on the water when on a tank, judging from the three birds I still 

 possess. From the male of these and the bird that recently died in the Zoological 

 Gardens, it appears that the male in summer assumes the rusty facial patch of the 

 female, and both become duller. 



