TADOKNA COKNUTA. Ill 



lart>e^t piecos of water thoy can find "wliicli have suitable sandv shores and 

 churs on which they may walk about. They are essentiallv land and not 

 water ducks, and may be found nine times out o£ ten strutting- about or 

 resting quietly on some sandy Ijank or shore. When disturbed they do not 

 take to the water and thence to wing, but at once rise into the air, uttering 

 their shrill call as they first take the alarm, and once in flight they soon put 

 a long distance between themselves and the cause o£ their disturbance. 

 They are strong both on the leg and the wing ; on the former their actions 

 are decidedly more goose- than duck-like, and they walk well, quickly, and 

 in a very erect attitude. When flying, on the other hand, they approach 

 more nearly the ducks, making less commotion with their wings than do 

 the geese. I have never heard their note, but it has been variously 

 <lescribed, and is, as far as I can make out, a very similar cry to that of 

 the Brahminy Duck in the breeding-season, but more shrill and high- 

 pitched at other times. Hume calls it a harsh quack, which, he says, 

 might perhaps be called a whistle. 



They dive well and swim well, but are loth to take to either expedient, 

 and it is only when severely wounded that they resort to it. As they feed 

 principally in shallow water their diving is not called into action, though 

 they often retain their heads under water for long periods. 



Hume on two occasions noticed birds '• washing and sluicing themselves 

 with an energy and persistence that I have rarely seen equalled in any 

 other species.^' He then, also, noticed that the birds remained W'itli their 

 licads under water (juite as long at a stretch as any of the true diving 

 ducks would have done. 



Their food appears to be mainly animal and consists of shell-fish, water- 

 insects, prawns, and shrimps, and practically all or any of the small animal- 

 life found on the shores at low tide or in shallow water. A small amount 

 of vegetal)le matter is doubtless eaten now and then, but merely as one 

 takes vegetable with a meat diet. 



Of course, they are not good to eat ; which of the animal-eating ducks 

 are ? and Hume says even skinning has no effect. It is certainly not to 

 be expected it would have much, as flavour, unlike beauty, is more than 

 .'<kin dee}), though skinning has with many birds a certain amount of good 

 effect. 



It does not l)reed with us, but does not go far for the ])urjiose. It 

 breeds extensively in Turkestan, and thence through Russia to our own 

 British coasts, where it is common enough. It has been found l)recding as 

 far north as Iceland and (Greenland, thouoh not ('xtensivelv in either 



