NETTION FOKMOSUM, 1G5 



especially the drakes, noisy birtls, constantly uttering a strident, clucking 

 call, like the syllalde " Mok," repeated very quickly. I haye heard their 

 cry likened to the (*otton-Teal, as uttered l)y the latter bird when tiying, 

 but far louder and more distinctly syllabized. 



As a rule, it would appear that they are inland l)irds, keeping much 

 to the swamps and morasses, or to rivers, and less often to large open 

 sheets of water. In Japan and Formosa it has been seen on the sea- 

 coast, in tidal creeks, and, T believe, even on the sea-shore itself. 



They are shy l)irds and difficult of approach as a rule, ))ut appear 

 to become less so during the breeding-season. Ruddle says that he saw 

 in company, "in a small morass above the Udir rivulet, winces boscJias, 

 A. crecca, A. glocitans, A. cb/peafa, A. acuta, and a few of A. penelope, 

 sitting quietly close together after a meal, resting.''^ 



As regards their breeding, the two notes quoted l)y Hume are all there 

 are on record. 



Middendorfl: savs : — " Althouoh the commonest duck on the Bosanida 

 (70 degrees north latitude) it did not occur as far north as the Taimyr 

 River. It was not observed before the 12th June on the Boganida. On 

 the 3rd July we found a nest on the river-bank under a willow bush 

 containing seven fresh eggs. On the 24th July the young in down 

 began to exhibit feathers on the head, shoulder, and wings, but were 

 still unable to fly on the 4th August. On the 28th July a male was 

 shot which had lost its perfect plumage. The latest birds w^ere seen on 

 the 23rd August on the Boganida. This bird was similarly plentiful 

 on the Stanaway Mountains (x^im River). And at Udskoj-ostrog, where 

 it arrived during the first week of May .... The eggs are bluish-yellow 

 in colour and small — tlie smallest was 1'98 inches long by 1*4 greatest 

 })readth.'' 



Of course, Middendorff meant largest, not smallest, as he gives the 

 greatest breadth, and 1-98 inches seems big for the egg, not small. In 

 the lines above (|uoted the point which will be most quickly noticed is 

 the extremely brief breeding-season. Thus, although the 12th June is 

 the earHest date on which the bird was seen, yet the last disa])peared 

 on th<^ 23rd August, giving little over two months for the wliole Ixisiness 

 of makino; the nest, layinii' the eu'u's, hatching- — which we may ])resuuie 

 would takf u]) from 20 to 25 days, — and bringing up the young. As it 

 would tak<' some ten days to lay the iioi'mal clutch of eggs and about 

 fiv(! at hi-ast to make the nest, the only conclusion is that once hatch(^d 

 thf yoimg take well imdri- the month to an-ive at tlieir fidl powers of 



