CASAECA EUTILA. 110 



mioht come, the other was forced ever to reply in the neo-ative. Hume 

 ridicules the legend, and savs he has never met a native who had heard 

 of it ; aU I can say is that I have repeatedly. 



At night, when feeding, the birds will often wander far apart, and may 

 be heard calling to one another in their short dissvllabic notes, which are 

 rendered by the natives into "• CJiakici. shall I come ? " '' So, CJtalica ! " antl 

 then " Chakica, .^Jiall I come?" with the reply '' Xo. CJialici !" 



The Hindustani words for these questions and answers are not at all 

 unlike their notes, which are loud and resonant, far more goose- than 

 duck-like in their character. Elliot. Pallas. Jerdon. c^'c. syllabize it as 

 a-oung, others as conk, conk ; perhaps a combination of these two into 

 a-onk, gives as good an idea of the note as any other accumulation of 

 letters. 



They are good swimmers as well as quick and agile divers, but do not 

 seem to be able to keep under water long, nor do they appear to ever 

 attempt to conceal themselves under water. Chi the wing they are 

 decidedly strong, but are noisy risers, though not slow ones. The move- 

 ments of its wings are less rapid than the majority of the Anatid;\\ and 

 give one the imj^ression that its progress is far slower than it really is. 

 They are good walkers, and though generally their movements are marked 

 more by dignity and deliberation than haste, they are capable of very gootl 

 performances as pedestrians. Their attitudes on land are more those of 

 geese than of ducks. 



They are not at all shy birds, nor are they at all wild in the ordinary 

 acceptation of the word. They object to anyone coming within shot, but 

 when outside that distance seem to have nothing to sav aoainst beino- 

 watched and remarked upon. I was introduced to Chakwa and Cliakwi in 

 the Santhal Parganas a very short time after I came to India. I was 

 engaged in camping across the district, and, generally riding ahead of my 

 belongings, would arrive at the next camping-ground some hours before 

 they came up. One of these grounds was on, or close to. the sanily bank 

 of a river, and of course the interval between arrival and breakfast was 

 filled up by strolling al)0ut. 



Two Brahminy Ducks soon attracted my attention, and though I was 

 within about one hundred and fitty yards they took no notice of me, but 

 sat on one leo; baskino- in the sun and now and then utterino; a siniile low 

 conk, not a note of alarm, but one which seemed to me. at the time, to be 

 of overweening j)ride and misplaced contiiU'nce. Later on. I found out 

 where these qualities should have been looked for. I stroUed back to 



