iTf) INDIAN DUCKS. 



wing T'l to 7'4, tarsus l'2o to 1'35. bill at front !•;} to 1-4, wings when 

 closed reach to within from 1 to l'7o of llie end of the tail. AVeiglit 12 ozs." 

 (Hume.) 



"Young birds are similar to the females, but the dusky markings of the 

 under surface are even less distinct." {Salvadori.) 



A young bird caught by Mr. Butler, and described by him in a letter to me, 

 was " Similar to the adult, except that the ring round the eye was very narrow 

 and tinged witli fulvous. Bill and feet as in adult ; eye dark brown instead of 

 reddish-brown." 



This Tciil is confiuecl to the Andaman and Cocos Islands, hut Mr. 

 C. AV. Allan shot a s})ecimen at Bassein. Bnnnah, Avliich was found 

 amonost a flock of Whistlino-Toal, on the l.")tli A]»ri]. 18'.)8. Tiiis bird was 

 recordcil in the "Asian," and Mi'. F. Finn wrote to iiic that he identified the 

 .skin himself, and without any doubt it was that of an Andaman Teal. 

 Nothing was noted as to whether the specimen wa> a di-ake or a duck. It 

 was probably driven on to the Burmese coast during- some storm, having 

 ventured too far out to sea from the Andaman^. 



Commander X. F. AVilson has procured specimens of this little duck on 

 the Great Cocos, and again on the Landfall Island. He remarks : '• I have 

 always found the Ijirds wherever a freshwater lagoon existed, and I do 

 not think that tliere is any doubt tliat the bird is general botli on the 

 Andaman am! Cocos Islands whenever tlu' above conditions exist."' 



ycftion (/ihberifroii.-i. J\ . castanernn. and 3^. aViigulare are very closelv 

 allied ; for a long time the first and the la>t were confounded with one 

 anothei-, and even now it is by no ineans settlecl that S. casfaiu'inn and 

 K. iiiliherifrons are not one and the same Idrds. The young males and 

 females are absolutely undistinguishalde, but the adult male N. ciihheri/runs 

 has been found to attain a further plumage, which, hitherto, no JS . 

 castaiu'Xin lia.- been found to aci|uire. A', alliujuhu'i' differs from botli 

 these birds in having the sides of the head darker and more uniform in 

 colour aiul the darker streaks to the featliers obsolete ; but the main 

 difference lies in the Andaman Teal having the white ring round the eye 

 and the fir>t secondai'v broadlv edged with white. 



There is a good plate of Sett'wu alli'ujnlave in the Britisli Museum 

 Catalogue, and on the same ])late is showit the head of A. gihln'vifrons, 

 thus giving a comparison between the two bii-ds. 



There is very little on record about this Teal, and it is to be hoped that 

 observers will soon add to our knowledge of it. 



By far the most important note on its habits is that contributed by 



