THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



[September 



-asks its mate if it shall come across, but the question is always an- 

 swered in the negative—" Chakwi, shall I come ? " " No Chakwa." 



Beyond the Indian limit the Braminy duck is found over the 

 greater part of Central Europe, also in Northern Africa, and Northern 

 and Central Asia. It breeds north of the Himalayas, on rocks near 

 lakes, in holes of walls, sometimes in deserted holes in the ground, 

 and also according to Pallas occasionally in hollow trees. It is said 

 to be held sacred among the Mongols and Calmucs. It is worthless 

 for table and is not generally shot. 



THE SHOVELLER. 



Spatula Clypeata, Linnjeus. 



This is another species of which no discription is necessary here. 

 Indeed I shall hardly have to describe any more species at all, fori;the 

 wild fowl of India are for the most part birds of wide distribution 

 which appear more or less frequently in the British Isles, and are con- 

 sequently figured and described in some at least of the books on 

 British Birds. The Shoveller is to be found throughout the Continents 

 of Europe and Asia, and breeds in temperate as in Northern regions. 

 It is found throughout the whole of India in the cold weather, and is 

 said to be often late in leaving for the North. 



After the Gadwall this appeared to me to be on the whole the 

 commonest of all the ducks in Gujerat. True I did not find it in large 

 flocks except on one or two occasions, but wdierever there was a piece 

 open water, whether it w r ere jheel, or tank, or washerman's pond, 

 there some Shovellers were almost certain to be found. The drake is 

 a finely coloured bird, and would be very handsome if it w T ere not for 

 his broad and somewhat ungainly looking beak. Unfortunately, how- 

 ever (though perhaps he may think differently), he is of little value for 

 the table, and is hardly ever shot except when meat is wanted for the 

 camp followers. These think Shovellers first class eating and are by 

 no means particular where they are shot. On one occasion, indeed, 

 when we saw some hundreds of Shovellers congregating with Vultures 

 and other filthy feeders on the edge of a foul and disgusting half-dry 

 tank just outside the walls of Viramgam, my brother's Shikari proposed 

 that we should shoot them there, and appeared very much put out 

 when we absolutely declined to do so. No doubt if he had had a gun 

 himself he would have had a comfortable shot, and thoroughly enjoyed 

 a meal off one of the ducks afterwards. Shovellers seem to be rather 



