SHIELDIiAKE. 171 



Calcutta Bazar by Mr. Blyth, is sometimes met with in the N. W. 

 Provinces, in Sindh, and at the foot of the Himalayas, and has been 

 observed by Mr. Simson, b. c. s., in Eastern Bengal. 



It occurs throughout Europe, the greater part of Asia, and North- 

 ern Africa, and breeds in deserted rabbit holes. The male at 

 the breeding season acquires a large fleshy boss at the base of the 

 upper mandible. The trachea is furnished with a labyrinth. The 

 voice is goose-like. 



Two other species of Tadorna are recorded, both from Australia, 

 T. radjah, Garnot, and T. ncevosa, Gould. The former of these, 

 which is said to be somewhat intermediate between Tadorna and 

 Casarca, has been made the type of Radja by Reichenbach, but 

 Gray in his List of Genera applies that name to Leptotarsis of 

 Gould, one of the Whistling-ducks. The other species has been 

 made the type of Stictonetta by the same Systematist. 



The Egyptian Goose, A. cegyptiaca, Gmelin, of which the genus 

 Chenalopex, Swainson is formed, appears to belong tc this group, 

 rather than to the Plectropterince, to which it is referred by Gray. 

 It has a small spur on the bend of the wing, its colouring is gay, 

 and it has a single inflated labyrinth in the trachea. It was revered 

 by the ancient Egyptians on account of the affection it displayed 

 towards its young. Other species are recorded by Gray ; some 

 from America. 



Fam. Anatid^e. 



Bill broader at the base than high, shallow, depressed, of nearly 

 equal width throughout, or wider at the tip ; both mandibles with 

 numerous transverse lamellae ; nostrils sub-basal or nearly median ; 

 tarsus moderately short, set far back on the body. 



The Ducks differ from the last family by possessing a longer, 

 shallower bill and shorter tarsus, and having the lamellae of the bill 

 more highly developed. 



The sexes usually differ much in colour : the males of many 

 assume the female plumage for a short period immediately after 

 the breeding season, resuming their proper colouring at the 

 autumn moult. They feed partly on vegetable matter and 

 partly on minute worms, larvaa, &c. They have, for the most 



