178 INDIAN DrCKS. 



within thirty yards of mo, as I stood conceaknl in tlie hushes on the hank. 

 I watched them for some minutes, when another pair, frightened hy some 

 distant shots, came scurrying over; the hirds on the water all twisted their 

 heads up, and set u}) a loud (juacking call-note, which they kept up for 

 some minutes. The newcomers circled round several times, hut ])rol)al)ly 

 seeing the top of my topee, concluded not to join their companions in their 

 fancied security. The flight of this Teal is fairly fast. Occasionally, 

 when they have heen kept on the wing for some time, a party will stoop 

 down to the surface of a creek as if they meant to pitch, and then change 

 their mind and rise again. When exercising this manoeuvre, they fly 

 ])ast at a tremendous ])ace. The white wing-har, in this species, is most 

 conspicuous when the bird is on the wing. 



" Winged birds promptly swim for the nearest cover, into which they 

 scuttle off at a great pace, and are generally lost without a dog. One I 

 i^hot swam steadily along in front of a Pathan convict, who was swimming 

 after it in the capacity of a retriever, and, though hard pressed, made no 

 attempt to dive until it reached the bank, where it was caught. One of 

 the officers stationed here has a live bird in captivity which was ])inioned 

 by a shot some months ago. It thrives well on paddy, but has not 

 become very tame. It spends most of the day asleep, with its head resting 

 in the plumage of the back. The local sportsmen have christened them 

 Gibheries. 



" They are rather difficult birds to skin, being very fat, and having 

 for a duck rather a tender skin. They seem to average about 15 ozs. in 

 weight." 



To this note Mr. Butler adds the following information, which he has 

 kindly sent me in a letter : — " On December the 2nd I was snipe-shooting 

 ut a village called ' Onikhet.'' Walkino- down a band which was overorown 

 with rank grass, I almost put my foot on an Oceanic Teal, which fluttered 

 jiway in front of me, trailing its wings and feigning lameness. Of course, 

 I thought I had got a nest at last, but a rippling movement in the grass in 

 different directions showed me that it was a brood of young ones that I 

 had come across. I instituted a most careful search, but only came upon 

 one youngster, which I caught. All this time the duck was flying round 

 and round within twenty yards, uttering a low double quack. The drake 

 also appeared on the scene, but kept further off and was silent.^' 



Davison, writing of the Andaman Teal, says: — "It appears to frequent 

 alike l)oth fresh and salt water. During the day it either ])erches among 



