134 ANSERIFORMES 



green erescentic bands, and the bill and feet black. N. coroman- 

 delianus, extending from the Indian Eegion to Celebes, has a 

 white neck, a brown band across the breast, and the flanks freckled 

 with grey ; X. alMpennis, of East Australia, is similar but larger ; 

 N. auritus, of West and South Africa with Madagascar, has a sea- 

 green patch on each side of the occiput, the lower part of the neck 

 and the flanks being rufous. The feiaales are much duller. These 

 " Pigmy Geese " frequent small lakes and dive admirably ; the 

 note is a cackle ; the nest, placed in holes in trees or ruins, if not 

 among grass, contains from six to twelve white eggs. 



Pteronetta hartlaubi, of ^Vest Africa, is chestnut with black 

 head and blue wing-coverts in both sexes. Rhodonessa caryo- 

 jjhyllacea, of India and Burma, is rich brown dotted with whitish, 

 the head and nape being pink, the speculum salmon-coloured, the 

 bill reddish-white, the feet blackish. It lays round white eggs. 



Asarcornis scutulata, ranging from East Bengal to Java, has a 

 black and white head, black mantle and under surface, greenish- 

 olive upper parts, with black and white on the wings, a blue-grey 

 speculum, reddish liill and feet. S'arruJiornis melaiwriota, of India, 

 Ceylon, Burma, and the Ethiopian Eegion, is black with metallic 

 hues above, and white below ; the head and neck are black and 

 white, the rump is grey, the tail brown, the feet, bill, and its 

 basal comb or caruncle black. S. caruncuJafa, of Brazil, Paraguay, 

 and North Argentina, diflfers in its black rump. The comb is 

 largest in the breeding season, and is wanting in females. These 

 Wattle-Ducks perch on trees and breed in cavities of the trunks, 

 laying a dozen or more white eggs. The note is harsh and the 

 flight slow. Cairina inoschata, the Muscovy — or more correctly 

 Musk — Duck of ornamental waters, extends from Mexico to 

 Argentina ; the crested head, neck, and lower parts are brownish- 

 black ; the upper surface is glossy green, with pui'ple on the back 

 and white wing-coverts ; the bill is black and white ; the feet are 

 black ; and the frontal and orbital caruncles of the male red. It 

 inhabits forest-swamps, roosts in trees, eats maize, mandioc roots, 

 and herbage, and nests in holes in trees or between forking 

 branches. Plectropterus gamhensis of Alid-Africa, P. rii.ppelli of 

 the North-East, F. niger of the South-East, and P. scioarms of 

 Shoa, the four hardly separable Spur-winged Geese, are metallic 

 black, with more or less white on the sides of the head, lesser 

 wing-coverts, throat, and abdomen ; the feet, bill, frontal knob. 



