198 MALAYAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



guished from A. cinnamomea by its wing-quills and tail being deep 

 blue-black instead of chestnut. 



One which I shot at Singapore on 12th November, 1880, 

 measured 15 inches in length ; tarsus If ; irides yellow ; legs and 

 beak pale yellowish-green, the latter dusky on its ridge ; beak front 

 2\ inches. 



Another, from Kota Lama, Perak, 22nd March, 1877, was of similar 

 dimensions ; top of head, the wing-quills, and tail black ; face and 

 the upper parts cinnamon-red, brightest on the back of the neck ; 

 wing-coverts pale yellowish brown ; underparts pale yellowish 

 white. 



GrOiSAKirs MELANOLOPHUS (Baffles). The Tiger Bittern. 



I only once met with this magnificent Bittern, getting a single 

 specimen, a female, near Changi, Singapore. 



Length about 20 inches, beak at front 2, tarsus 2 T 7 2 ; top of 

 head and pointed crest, passing over the nape, bluish-black ; tail 

 brownish-black ; rest of the plumage chestnut, brightest on the 

 face and sides of neck ; the back and wing-coverts freckled with 

 wavy black lines ; pectoral plumes creamy brown, dashed with 

 black and chestnut streaks ; the abdomen and vent chestnut, 

 richly maiked with irregular black and white bars; under tail- 

 coverts white irregularly marked with dark brown ; wing-quills 

 bluish-black, the terminal portions chestnut, and the extreme tips 

 whitish. 



Dendrocygna jayanica (Sykes.). The Whistling Teal. 



This bird may be called the Duck of the Malayan Peninsula. 



Though a migrant, it is found at certain seasons throughout all 

 the Malay States ; and I do not believe its breeding-grounds can 

 be far north of lat. 5° N., as the migration from the lower or 

 southern half of the peninsula does not take place until late in 

 June, and a few months later the birds are back again. During 

 the winter months, or, to speak more correctly, during the north- 

 east monsoon, these Ducks collect in large flocks on the jheels 

 and flooded paddy-fields. In Perak I found them particularly 

 partial to small weedy lakes surrounded by thick jungle ; and at 

 one of these, near Saiyong, I used to see them literally in hun- 

 dreds from February to April j but towards the end of the follow- 



