TELE, MUGE SAIN: 45 
NATURALLY THIS rare and zormally only winter visitant does 
not breed with us. Many of us have taken the eggs of tame birds 
at home, and know well the huge nest that they build of rushes, 
reeds and coarse aquatic herbage, on the bank of some island 
or shore of a lake, or in thick reed beds. The nidification of the 
wild birds in Turkey, South Russia, in Sweden and Denmark, 
about the Caspian, in Western Turkestan and Central Siberia, 
what little has been recorded of it, seems to differ in no way 
from that of their domesticated brethren, except that the wild 
birds are said by some to breed gregariously, many nests being 
placed in close proximity to each other. They lay from five to 
eight eggs, (and the domesticated birds at times as many as 
eleven,) with but little gloss of a rather coarse texture ; in shape 
rather elongated, very regular, obtuse ended ovals; in colour a 
dull pale greenish grey or white,and they average nearly four 
and a half inches in length by nearly three in breadth. 
IN THIS SPECIES, individuals of hoth sexes, even apparent 
adults, differ very considerably in size, the dimensions probably 
increasing for some years after they attain their perfect plumage ; 
but stillthe males, I believe, averagesomewhat larger than the 
females. I have never, in India, had the chance of measuring 
wild specimens of this species myself, and can, therefore, only 
reproduce dimensions recorded by others. 
First, those of three adults, not sexed, which were measured 
by Mr. H. E. Watson :— 
No 1. No 2. No 3. 
feet inches. feet inches. feet inches, 
** Length from tip of bill to end of tail -» G—10°5 5—2 5—o 
Expanse Be ona ... 6—6 7—O 6—I0 
Wing wei wae .. EI—IJO \Femorl 1) Uh) a tale Se 
Tail from vent Sts is --» O—9°75 O—I10'25 O0—9'75 
Bill from gape i 363 ae oO 8 TR Om Os Gr Fa ck 
Tarsus measured on inner side... .. O—38 OA 2a akc 
Weight ee och Soh yaks 1glbs. 173lbs.” 
Second, of two immature birds measured by Captain Unwin :-— 
“ Male-—Length, 55°5; expanse, 84°37; wing, 23°12; tail 
from vent, 8°5 ; bill at front, straight from termination of frontal 
plumes to tip, 3°5 ; from anterior angle of eye, 5°15 ; from gape, 
4; tarsus, 4°05 ; mid toe to root of claw, 5 ; weight, 15 Ibs. 
“ Female—Length, 53:12; expanse, 82°37; wing, 21°38; bilt 
at front from frontal plumes straight to tip, 3°55 ; from anterior 
angle of eye, 4:75 ; from gape, 3'9; tarsus, 3°38; mid toe to root 
of claw, 4°8 ; weight, 13 lbs. 
But of the tame birds, old males are said to weigh up to 
30 Ibs. 
In the adult “the nail at the point of the bill, the edge of 
the upper mandible on each side, its base and lores to the eye, 
the orifice of the nostrils and the tubercle, are black; the rest of 
