Illustrations of Indian Ornithology. 



and they can be readily distinguished at a distance even by the comparatively lazy flapping 

 of their wings. They breed in the hot weather, laying several eggs of a dirty white colour, 

 spotted all over with rusty red: these are said to be laid in a tuft of grass, but I have not 

 mvself found them in situ. 



The tlesli of the Whistling Teal is in general poor, tough, and fishy, and they are 

 not therefore held in any esteem for the table, though at times I believe they are more 

 palateable, especially after being kept in a Tealery for some time. 



I add a description of the large Whistling Teal. 



Head and neck chesnut, darker on the top of the head, whence a dark line 

 extends down the back of the neck ; chin, throat and fore neck very pale ; on the centre of the 

 neck there is a broad patch of small whitish somewhat hackled feathers. Upper part of 

 the back and scapulars deep brown, the feathers edged with chesnut, lower part of the back 

 black, lesser wing coverts dark marroon, other wing coverts, wings and tail dusky black — 

 beneath chesnut,under tail coverts and a few of the upper ones yellowish white, the feathers on 

 die sides of the body elongated, chesnut on one side of the shaft, and yellowish white edged 

 with dark brown on the other. Bill and legs plumbeous Irides dark brown. Length i?0 to 

 21 inches— Wing 9|, Tail 2|, Tarsus 2, middle toe with claw 3J, Bill at front 1,^ at gape 2^. 



This duck appears to me to bear a greater resemblance in colouring to Horsficld's 

 species Javanica vel arcuata than the common one or aiosuree, but it differs in size, in want- 

 ing thelunules of the breast and neck, in the small extent of the marroon colour on the wings, 

 and in this being of a much duller hue ; in the thigh feathers not being bordered with brown ; 

 and in the presence of the band of small whitish feathers on the neck, and in a few other 

 minor points — Sykes' species differs from Horsfield's in its apparently smaller size, in wanting 

 the lunules on back of neck and breast, and more particularly in its upper tail coverts being of 

 the same marroon hue as the wing coverts, besides in several other particulars, and! have no 

 doubt that it is a good and autlientic species, although I see some Systematists have lately join- 

 ed them. It is not improbably the smaller variety indicated by Horsfield to which the Javanese 

 give the name o{ Meliwis batti, Melitcis holn^ the common name o( Jaranica, and my D. 

 major may also be the Meliwis kembung alluded to as another variety. The name of Jara- 

 nica must stand for Horsfield's species, it having been first described under that name, that of 

 arctMta having been subsequently given as the name by which Cuvier had distinguished it in 

 il.e museum of Paris. 



