32 IXDTAN DfCKS. 



Genus ASAECORNIS. 



This ;;enii^ is one specially created hy Salvadori fur tlic AVliitc-wino-ed 

 AVood-Duck, which ])reviously had i)een placed, either with Sarc'uliond.^, 

 Camira, Anaa, or Tadoi'na. It seems to be allied most nearly to the first- 

 mentioned of these genera, differine- in })0ssessing no comb oi' >pur, and 

 in liavin;;' a flatter and lar^^cr bill. There i- no other inenibei- oL' this 

 genus. 



Hume, in a t'ootnote to " ( iame-Birds." p. 147. gives his i-eason lor 

 rejecting the name ^i. .si'u/u/ii/k. which is. that Blytli considered Midler's 

 birds to lie of a different -pecies to the wild one- ibinid in India and 

 Burniah. Salvadori. howe\('i\ who has had inore material to work on than 

 was available to Hume at the tinu' he wrote, seems to consider that 

 A. scutulata doe> a[»ply to oui' bird, and that the domesticated or confined 

 bii'd is inclined to albini-m. I'nder the circumstances. I think it is 

 better to follow tSalvadori and accept Midler- name. 



(C.) ASARCORNIS SCUTULATA. 

 THE AVHlTE-WIN(ii:D AVuOH-DL'CJv. 



Anas scutulata, Ihtuu, sir. Fcai/i. viii. p. ]'j>^. 



Casarca leucoptera. Jerdou, B. I. iii, \). 7Uo; llmnc i.y Davia. ritr. Feath. 



^\. ]). 4S9 ; Jfumc, ibid. p. 17". 

 Casarca scutulata, Hume., Sir. Feath. viii, ]). 11.3; I/uiitc, Cat. no. *Jo5. 

 Anas leucoptera, Hume 4' Mar. (Jame-B. iii, pp. 147 & 17-; Oahn, 



B. of Brit. Barm, ii, ]). 281 ; J/amc, jVests tji" £gfjs (Oates ed.), iii, p. 287. 

 Asarcornis scutulata, Salvaduri, Cat. B. M. xxvii, p. 60 ; }'ouii»j, Jour. 



U. J. //. S. xi. p. 572. 

 Asarcornis leucoptera. Gates, Gamc-B. ii, p. i;j!). 

 Asarcornis scutulatus, Stanford, Fauna B. I. iv, p. 424. 



Dcseript'ion. Adult male. — Head and upper part of neck white thickly 

 spotted with l^hick. tlie black spots usually more numerous ou the upper part of 

 the head and neck ; lower part of the neck and mantle glossy black, tlie \\ hole 

 of the lower ])arts rich chestnut-browu, more or less mottled, when freshly 

 moulted, \\ith glossy black on the breast and abdomen ; back, rump, and upper 



