1070 DENDEOCYGNA JAVANICA. 



Distribution. — The Whistling-Teal is by far the commonest of the Duck tribe in Ceylon, and in some 

 localities is very numerous at certain seasons of the year. It frequents almost every tank, both large and 

 small, in the northern and eastern forests, being met with sometimes on quite small village ponds. I have 

 not seen it on brackish estuaries or salt lagoons, and believe it to be exclusively a freshwater species. In the 

 west of Ceylon, where the country is devoid of artificial irrigation-waters, it frequents the rivers and paddy- 

 fields in their vicinity ; on the Bentota river, the Gindurah ganga, the Nilwella ganga or Matara river, and 

 other estuaries it is to be found, more especially in the latter part of the year, keeping to those parts which 

 How through a large extent of paddy-land ; and on the first-named river excellent Teal-shooting is to be had 



Genus TADOENA. 



Bill somewhat similar in form to that of Dendrocygna ; sides not so flattened ; lamella? well developed, descending 

 below the edge of the mandible. Wings with a blunt projection just beyond the flexure. Tail short, rounded, of 14 

 feathers. Legs moderately long ; hind toe slightly lobed. 



Of large size and conspicuous coloration. 



TADOENA CASAECA. 



(the buddy sheldrake.) 



Anas casarca, Linn. Syst. Xat. iii. App. p. 224 (1768). 



Anas rutila, Pall. Nov. Comm. Petrop. xiv. p. 579 (1770). 



Casarca rutila (Pall.), Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 303 (1849); Jerdon, B. of Ind. iii. p. 791 (1864); Hume, 



Str. Feath. 1873, p. 260, et 1879, viii. (List B. of Ind.), p. 115 ; Scully, ibid. 1876, p. 198. 

 Tadorna casarca, Dresser, B. of Eur. pt. 41 & 42 (1875). 

 Tht Brain, (tin! Duck in India; SurMah, Chakwa, Chakwi, Hind.; Chakra-baka, Sanscrit; Bapana chilluwa, Telugu 



(Jerdon) ; Hanyyhut, Turki (Scully). 



Adult male (India, Spain). Wiug 14-0 to 15-2 inches; tail 5-4 to 5-6; tarsus 2-4 to 2-5 ; middle toe 2-3 to 2-4, claw 

 o-45 ; hind toe (without claw) 0*5 ; bill to gape (straight) 2-0 to 2-2. 



F malt . (Seville) Wing 12-7 inches ; tail 4-8 ; tarsus 2-1 ; middle toe 2-1 ; bill to gape (straight) 1-9. (Tarkand) 



"Length 24-0 inches ; wing 13-75 ; tail 5-8; tarsus 2-25 ; bill from gape 2-0 : weight 2 lb. 13-5 oz." {Scully). 

 Iris deep brown ; bill, legs, and feet black. 



Malt (Seville). Head and neck creamy buff, paling on the forehead and face, and darkening on the lower hind neck 

 into the rather light rufous-tawny of the interscapular region, scapulars, chest, under surface, and flanks ; a broad 

 ring of black glossed with purple round the neck ; the underlying scapulars brownish, mottled with greyish buff ; 

 lower part of back vermiculated with brown ; rump aud upper tail-coverts deep black ; tail and primaries dull 

 black ; secondaries blackish brown, the terminal portions of the outer webs dark metallic green ; the inner webs 

 whitish, except near the tip; wing-coverts white (in some white, washed with creamy buff ) ; tertials rufous- 

 tawny, paling to whitish at the tips, the iuner webs brownish ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white. 



Some males apparently in adult plumage have no collar ; this, in a specimen kept in confinement by Mr. Cripps, was 

 not put on until after the hot season. 



Adult femal (Seville). Face and sides of head whiter than in the male ; top of the head washed with brown; no ring 

 round the neck ; back darker than in the male, the lower part being brown, vermiculated with greyish buff ; other- 

 wise as in the male. 



Nestling in down (Volga). Top of the head, down the hind neck, back, tail, and a baud on the primaries light brown, 

 the tips of the down being tawny : forehead, face, all the neck but the aforesaid black band, entire underparts, 

 posterior part of the wings, and a stripe down the sides of the back, commencing behind the wing, sullied white. 



