98 WATER FOWL. 



in the warmer climate of Great Britain, it is only a scarce 

 straggler, and Dresser considers most of the specimens 

 taken there have escaped from confinement. Still some 

 of the rare stragglers to Iceland may have wandered 

 farther, once they were off the right track, and reached 

 Greenland. This species prefers the society of Geese to 

 that of Ducks, and frequents, during the day, open fields 

 where it can see a long distance, for it is habitually shy, 

 going at evening to the lakes and ponds. It nests in 

 the hollows of trees, also in holes in the ground and in 

 clefts of the cliffs. It visits India, and my friend the late 

 Dr. Jerdon related a legend of this bird that is current 

 there. It runs that for some indiscretion two lovers 

 were transformed into Braminy Ducks (the name for 

 this species there) and were condemned to pass the night 

 apart from each other on opposite sides 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 nega- 

 tive: "Chackwa, shall I come?" "No, Chakwi." 

 " Chakwi, shall I come? " " No, Chakwa." It is also 

 supposed in some parts of India that whoever kills one 

 of these Ducks will be doomed to perpetual celibacy; 

 hence by the natives they are seldom molested. The call 

 note of this bird is loud and clear, more resembling that 

 of a Goose than any sound a Duck utters. 



CASARCA CASARCA. 



Geographical Distribution. — Southern and Eastern Europe; 

 North Africa to Shoa, Southern Asia, China, and Japan. Acci- 

 dental in the Scandinavian Peninsula, Iceland, and Greenland. 



Adult Male. — Head and neck, buff, grading into orange 

 brown on the lower part of the neck, which is surrounded by a 

 black ring. Back, breast, and under parts, foxy red. Rump, 

 yellowish red, vermiculated with black. Wing coverts, white; 



