10(1 IXIHAX DICKS. 



<zvn>< in cvcrv case forniinu' a doino foinnletelv covorinji them ami liidiiit:; 

 them from sight, even wlicn one stood actually over them. 



Except in this district, T have never seen a ne>t actually on the ground, 

 but have taken one or two from situations very close to it. In Cachar, at 

 the toot of the hills there i^ much liroken ground, often intersected hy 

 nullahs which widen out here and there into swamps and blieels. Here (he 

 Whistlinor-Teal is in its element, and has an enormous Aarietv of sites to 



<r:> » 



choose from. The one [ have found most often selected is some clum[) of 

 trees, generallv l)al)i)()l or ;i stunteil -pecies of large-leaved, <lensely-foliaged 

 tree which grow.s, often, actually in the water. When the rains arc on, thes(i 

 small clumps form oases in the centre of a watery desert, and when the floods 

 are at their height show mei-ely a few feet of their crests above water, on 

 one of wliich the duck- build their nest, a rough-and-reaily constructioii of 

 weeds, sun-grass, and rushes, rarely lined with a few feathers, Sometimes 

 a good many twigs are used, more especially when the nests are placed in 

 babool trees, where, (»wing to the support being less comjiact. the ne>t 

 itself is biiuiid to be strongei' and bett(M' put together. The situation next 

 mo-t often chosen as a site for the nest is u[) one of the arms of these 

 bheels, which seldom, if ever, have deep water in them, but at the same 

 time, from collecting moisture drained oft" surrounding hills, are always wet 

 and moi>t. In the-e place-; the canes. ree(l-. and other vegetation gi'ow to 

 a great height, often 12 feet or more, and are so rank and tangled that 

 their tops will l)ear no inconsideral>le weight. When building the nest in 

 one of these tangles the birds place it some two or three feet from the top, 

 the density (jf which protects it greatlv from rain. A:c. The ne>t it<elf is of 

 the roughest descrijition. a mere thick, coarse })ad of gras.-. reeds, and, 

 ])erhaps, a few creepers, measuring some It? to 24- inches in diameter, and 

 with no more depression in the centre than is cau>ed by the birds constantly 

 sitting in them. 



Now and then the nest is found on trees close by villages and near -ome 

 tank or piece of water. When on this kind of tree the nest nuiy l)e placed 

 eitlier on one of the bigger forks or in a lai'ge hollow, and when in tlie 

 former place are quite well-built nests of twigs lined with grass and a few 

 feathers. If, on the contrary, they are in the hollows, iho nest is scantv 

 and sometimes merely consists of the fragment.? naturally contained in tlie 

 hole. 



In Bungpur I found nearly all my nests on trees, though very often 

 they were not built by the birds themselves, but thev used old crows' nests 

 .sometimes, old kites' nests frequently. I should mention that the crows' 



