DENDROCYGNA JAVANICA. 1071 



in September and October. It is found on Kotte and Ktesbawa lakes occasionally, and large flocks are to 

 be seen at the latter end of tbe year on the upper or freshwater part of the Bolgodde Lake. At the lower end 

 of the Batticaloa Lake it is also abundant at certain times. 



This species is very abundant in parts of India, extending into Burmah, Teuasserim (where it is common), 

 and Malacca, and thence southward to Java, whence it was first procured and described by Horsfield. It is 

 likewise abundant at the Nicobars ; but in the Andamans it has only recently been procured. In regard to 

 India, I find that it is plentiful in parts of the Deccan, chiefly about wooded districts in the rains and cold 

 weather [Davidson) ; found throughout Chota Nagpur, and recorded especially in that district from the 



Yomig of the year resemble the female ; the scapulars are brownish, mottled with rufescent, and the wing-coverts, 



more especially the greater series, are tinged and tipped with brownish. 

 A male (so labelled) from Calcutta, dated December, has no ring round the neck ; the wing-coverts show no signs 



of immaturity ; but it is probably a bird of the year. 



Distribution. — In accordance with the rule adopted in this work, I place this species in a footnote, specimens never 

 having been actually procured and preserved ; but I have little doubt of its occurrence in the island, for an account of 

 which I am indebted to Capt. "Wade-Dalton, of the 57th Regiment, who is well acquainted with the bird. He met 

 with a pair in February 1876 in the long lagoon which runs inland from Mullaittivu, and writes to me as follows : — " I 

 saw them sitting at the edge of the water, and stalked and shot at them with an 8-bore belonging to a friend ; but, 

 thanks to the bad powder in the cartridges, I failed to bag either." As it is, according to Jerdon, a cold-weather -visitant 

 to all parts of India, there is no reason why it should not unfrequently stray down to Ceylon. It is common in the 

 Deccan, and is said to remain there until May, the end of the hot weather (Davidson). It is very abundant in Sindh, 

 and breeds on the Upper Indus in May (Hume). To the valley of Nepal it is a winter visitor, but leaves in December 

 (Scully). It is found in Kashgaria up to an elevation of 16,000 feet, and extends into Mongolia, where it is common 

 and held sacred by the inhabitants (Prjevalshy). It is not uncommon in Persia, ranging as far north as lat. 50°, and 

 eastwards to the Baikal region, and thence to Japan. On inland waters in China it is not unfrequent ; but it is rare on 

 the coasts. It winters in Palestine, and also breeds there occasionally. In Europe it chiefly inhabits the south (though 

 rare in Italy), breeding in Spain and Southern Russia. It is a straggler to Northern Europe as high up as Sweden 

 (Nilsson), and strays still northward into Finland. To Great Britain it is a rare straggler. It inhabits Northern Africa, 

 occurring in Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt, breeding in the latter country ; and it is said to extend southwards as far as 

 the Blue Nile. 



Habits. — This Sheldrake is met with usually in pairs or small troops of half a dozen or more, but is said in India 

 before migrating to assemble in thousands. It is a very well-known bird in that country, being universally called the 

 " Brahminy Duck." " The Hindoos," writes Jerdon, " have a legend that two lovers for some indiscretion were trans- 

 formed into Brahminy Ducks, that they are condemned to pass the night apart from one another on opposite banks 

 of the river, and that all night long each in its turn asks its mate if it shall come across ; but the question is always met in 

 the negative — ' Chakwa, shall I come?' 'No, Chakwi.' 'Chakwi, shall I come?' 'No, Chakwa.'" Its note as heard by 

 me in confinement is a low guttural hope, hope, Tcape, and sometimes Tea, ha, ha, hhap, quickly repeated. It walks well, 

 with the same action as the true Geese, and is said to graze, like these birds, in corn-fields. It has been said by a writer 

 in the ' Indian Sporting Review ' to devour carrion in company with Vultures ; but Jerdon states that he was constantly 

 on the watch to verify this observation, " but never saw any thing approaching to such a habit." 



Nidijtcation. — This handsome bird does not seem to be particular as to the site which it chooses for its nest, so long 

 as it appears to afford it the necessary cover. It nests in hollow trees, hollow logs, clefts of rocks, or caves, in which 

 latter locality Canon Tristram found a nest among those of some Griffon- Vultures ; and in Mongolia, where it is never 

 molested, besides resorting to holes and clefts in the ground, it sometimes lays in the " fireplaces of villages deserted by 

 the Mongols," in which, writes Col. Prjevalsky, " the females, whilst hatching, get almost quite black with soot." This 

 author says that though the male does not assist in incubating, as soon as the young are hatched he is most vigilant in 

 watching them. The breeding-time of this species, both in Asia and Europe, is in May and June. The eggs are oval and 

 of a pale cream-colour, not to be distinguished from those of the Common Sheldrake. These latter are ovals, somewhat 

 stumpy at one end, smooth, and rather glossy in texture. Specimens before me measure 2-59 by 1-88 and 2-69 by 1-91 

 inches. 



