258 INDIAN DUCKS. 



Col. Unwin reports this little duck as having been obtained several 

 times in March 1907 in Kashmir, but gives no details of what specimens 

 were secured ; and prior to this, in the ' Asian ' of the 8th February, 

 1898, A. E. W. recorded having shot three StifF-tail Ducks in that 

 State in amongst a vast number of other birds shot at the same time. 

 Captain Macuab, I. M.S., records shooting a female of this species at 

 Mardan, Peshawar, in November 1899. 



Finally, Finn, again in the columns of the ' Asian,' says that twice, 

 to his knowledge, this duck has been obtained in the Calcutta Bazaar. 



There is also a specimen in the British Museum, obtained by General 

 Kinloch in Peshawar. This, to the best of my belief, exhausts the list of 

 the Stiff-tail Duck's appearance within our limits. 



Of the birds whose age is recorded, only two would a])pear to have 

 been adult birds : the male got at Peshawar and the female at Ludhiana. 



It will be noted, also, that all the Ijirds were detained between the 

 20th October and the 8th February, and whilst the bird shot at Hardoi 

 in January was in heavy moult, none of the others, in so far as we know, 

 appeared to have been moulting at all. Therefore it is very doubtful 

 whether this particular specimen had not been indulging in an abnormal 

 moult. I do not consider it of any weight in reference to the bird being 

 a resident or otherwise, all that we know at present ])ointing strongly to 

 the fact that it is not resident. There is, however, no reason why this 

 duck should not breed in Kashmir, which is quite far enough north ; and 

 it is to be hoped that anyone working the water-breeding birds of that 

 State will bear this in mind. 



As regards its habits, we have very little on record as far as India is 

 concerned. Finn notes : — " In habits the Stiff-tail resembles a grebe 

 rather than a duck. It is more ready to dive than to fly, swims low with 

 its tail raised, and it is said to be unable to walk — thoafjh tins I doubt, 

 though I have only had a cripple to study. This bird resembles a grebe 

 in its remarkable tameness." 



Captain Sherwood writes in the B. N. H. S. Journal : — " The bird was 

 very little longer, if any, than a Common Teal, but much bigger, and 

 presented a stumj)y appearance, very ugly and ungainly. The wings 

 were hardly more than inches in length. The birds were shot in deep 

 water, in a nullah, which they refused to leave after being put up, and 

 after a short swift flight they settled again.^' 



Some interesting notes are also given of the female already referred to 

 as having been shot by Captain Macnab. He says : — " On getting closer. 



