NYROCA BAERI. 225 



Northern Biirmah. My own collectors on two occasions obtained a younf 

 male in Cachar ; they seemed to know the bird, and called it the " boro 

 lalbigar," or " Larger White-eye." When questioned they said it was 

 a rare but regular visitor to Cachar, and a more common one in Sylhet, 

 whence they oflFered to procure me specimens. 



Mr. Oates assumes that the present bird is the common form of White- 

 eye procured in Cachar, Sylhet, Manipur, and Burmah. This, however, is 

 distinctly not correct as regards the first-mentioned three places, in which 

 the Eastern or Baer's White-eye is infinitely more rare than the Common 

 White-eye. 1 have myself shot over the districts of Lakhimpur, Tezpur 

 (rarely), Gowhatty, Cachar, and Sylhet, and in all of these it is the 

 Common White-eye which is the typical local form, though from all these 

 districts, except Gowhatty, I have obtained one or more specimens of 

 Baer's bird. 



Manipur has been shot over by many keen sportsmen who were also 

 eood observers, and in one or two cases good field-ornitholoMsts as well, 

 and I cannot believe that none of these would have noticed Baer's Pochard 

 if it had been in any way common. All specimens sent me from Manipur 

 have been of the Western form, and I have no doubt that it is the typical 

 form of that State. 



As regards Burmah, I cannot dogmatize, but I should note that when I 

 tried my utmost for three years to get specimens of Baer's Pochard from 

 both North and South Burmah, I only succeeded in getting three — two 

 from the Shan States and one from near Bhamo ; all the others sent me 

 Avere fine specimens of the Common White-eye. I think the inference 

 to be drawn is that, even in Burmah, Baer's Pochard is not the 

 common type. 



Again, indenting on Finn, I cjuote from the 'Asian' : — "No one seems 

 to have had much opportunity of observing this duck in a wild state, and 

 mv own observations have been restricted to captives. It is a better 

 walker than most Pochards, and, I have fancied, hardly so fine a diver. 

 It certainly, judging from the birds in the fine water-aviary in the Alipore 

 Zoological Gardens, rises more easily on the wing, and flies with less effort 

 than other Pochards. I notice that at Alipore our birds can rise well up 

 into the roof, and fly round and round like the surface-feeding ducks. 

 The species appeared to stand the heat less well than the Common White- 

 eye, and probably breeds in a higher latitude. I am ashamed to say that, 

 havinor had more to do with this species than anyone, I do not know^ how 

 it tastes." 



