DENDHOCYCXA JAVANICA. 103 



pei'sontilly seen them tlius actually on land. The only time I have seen a 

 flock o£ any size on a tree was once when, passing under a huge hanyan tree, 

 a large flock flew out just overhead. I was riding wlien they started, but 

 I rememljer that as they de})arted out of sight I viewed the last o£ them 

 from the ground on which I was reclining in a semi-sitting posture. I 

 forget now whicli got out of sight first, the Teal or my i)ony — ti^^ latter a 

 skittish T. B. Waler. 



Banyan trees are very favourite resorts of this bird, because, doubtless, 

 of the laroe horizontal l)ranchos whicli are so numerous, and which o-ive 

 them good foothold without calling on the powers of grasping to too great 

 an extent. They are quick, strong swimmers, and A'ery good divers also, 

 but I have not known them dive and remain under water, holding on to 

 weeds, &c., as some ducks do. As a rule, a wounded bird dives and 

 scurries under water at a great pace for about ten to twenty yards and 

 then reappears, once more to dive as the would-be catcher thinks that at 

 last he has o-ot it. 



They feed on anvthing and everything. Init bring u[) their young 

 principally on animal food, and they themselves, in an adult state, probably 

 prefer vegetable food. They graze often in the rice-fields, but only when 

 the plant is very young, and I have seen them grazing on the coarse dhub- 

 grass Avhich often grows on sandy spots at the edges of tanks and jhils in 

 the cold weather. 



I have found that they eat large quantities of a very small freshwater 

 snail ; this has a very brittle shell, and so is probably easily crushed and 

 digested. These snails mioht account for the flavour of whicli the bird is 

 unfortunately so often the possessor. Anyway, it is most rare to find a 

 Whistling-Teal fit to eat, though it is not an impossibility to get such, a 

 young bird just at the commencement of the cold weather being the most 

 likely to furnish an edible dish. 



Their note is described by their name, and is a regular whistle, not very 

 clear, rather siliilant, and by no means harsh or shrill. It is uttered 

 constantly whilst on the wing, es})ecially when first rising and during the 

 first few wheel<. I have also heard it, during the breeding-season, give 

 vent to a low chuckling, not unlike the garrulous notes of the Cotton-Teal, 

 but moi-e nearly api)roacliing the quack of a true duck. 



It is a most charming little duck in captivity, and most easy to tame ; 

 indeed, so confiding do they become that it is often ])ossible to keep then> 

 in complete freedom without their making any attemj)t to leaAc the piece 

 of water on which thev reside. Tliev soon leai'n to com(> when cal!(Ml and 



