22 G INDIAN DUCKS. 



I ate part of the flesh of one of my birds, and it \vas not at all good, 

 not good enough to finish even. 



I remember about 1898-99 Mr. J. Kennedy, then Deputy Commissioner, 

 Cachar, shot a White-eye up in the North Cachar Hills, which attracted my 

 notice from its great weight and very dark glossy head. I was not then 

 at all interested in ducks^ except when on the table, and put the bird down 

 as an abnormally coloured and very large Common White-eye ; but now 

 I have no doubt that it was a good specimen of Eastern White-eye. 



The bird was one of a flock of about a dozen or less, which we sighted 

 flying up-stream on the River Diyung, a mountain-stream consisting of 

 rushing rapids and deep still pools of water in alternation. We followed 

 them up and found the birds in a deep, but very rapid narrow, which in 

 one place widened out and made an eddying pool on either side, in which 

 the ducks were swimming. 



On our approach they got up, but Mr. Kennedy fired and knocked one 

 over ; it was only winged and fell into the torrent, leading us a pretty 

 dance before we eventually secured it. The great pace of the water 

 seemed to have no appreciable effect on it, either in diving or in swimming, 

 for it dashed backwards and forwards with the greatest ease, kept long 

 under water, and turned and twisted with great agility. At last a snap- 

 shot, as it showed itself for a moment, brought it to hand. 



I remember the duck, though it must have been a very fully adult 

 male, had bright jmle yellow irides. The bird was so rank and fishy that 

 we could not stand it on the table. 



Two of my collectors (Mahomedans), who had lived all their lives in 

 Cachar and Sylhet, say that this White-eye is a faster, stronger bird on 

 the wing than the CJommon White-eye, an equally good diver and 

 swimmer, and much more shy and wary. 



Seebohm, in his ' Birds of the Japanese Empire,' says that " the 

 Siberian White-eyed Duck breeds in the valley of the Amoor." This is 

 the only note of its breeding which I can find. 



It is probable that in nidification it will differ in no way from the 

 Common White-eye, though we may expect to find its eggs to average 

 somewhat larger, and the single egg in my possession bears this out. It is 

 a very dirty dull-coloured drab, in shape a broad regular ellipse, and it 

 measures 2*01 x 1"51 inches. It has no gloss, and the texture is exactly 

 the same as that of 2i. africana. 



