THE BRAHMINY DUCK. 
277 
Genus TADOENA, Fleming, 
639. TADORNA CASARCA. 
THE BRAHMINY DUCK. 
Anas casarca, Linn. Syst. Nat. iii, App. p. 224. Anas rutila, Pall. Nov. Comm. 
Tetrop. xiv. pt. i. p. 579. Casarca rutila, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 791 ; Hume 
Sf Henders. Lah. to Yaj^k. p. 296 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 641 ; id. S. F. iii. . 
p. 193 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 165 ; Scully, S. F. iv. p. 198 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, 
p. 497 ; Hume ^ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 489 ; Hutne, S. F. viii. p. 115; Sctdly, S. F. 
viii. p. 362 ; Hume Sr Marsh. Game Birds, iii. p. 123, pi. ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 245. 
Tadorna casarca, Dresser, Birds Fur. vi. p. 461, pi. ; Anders. Yunnan Exped. 
p. 699 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1070. 
Description. — Male in summer. The whole head yellowish or ochraceous 
white, tinged with rufous in places ; the neck, the whole lower plumage, 
back and scapulars chestnut, deepest on the breast, vent and under tail- 
coverts ; a black ring round the neck ; smaller and median wing-coverts 
white ; greater coverts and secondaries glossy green ; tertiaries chestnut 
on the outer webs, whitish on the inner ; primaries, tail and upper tail- 
coverts glossy black ; rump fulvous, minutely cross-barred with black. 
The male in winter has no black collar round the neck. 
The female never has the black collar at any time ; the front of the head 
is whitish ; but she does not otherwise differ from the male. 
Bill black ; iris dark brown ; legs and feet very dark brown ; claws black. 
Length 26 inches, tail 6, wing 15*3, tarsus 2*5, bill from gape 2*3. The 
female is considerably smaller. 
The Brahminy Duck is a visitor to the Province from October to March. 
It is very abundant in the large rivers of Pegu ; but Mr. Davison did not 
observe it in Tenasserim. It is probably common in Arrakan, whence 
Mr. Blyth received it. 
It occurs, according to season, over a great part of Southern and Central 
Asia, Northern Africa and Southern Europe. It has not yet been recorded 
from Siam, Cochin China or the Malay peninsula. 
This handsome Duck is found almost entirely on large rivers such as 
the Irrawaddy, the Sittang and the Pegu ; and banks of nice clean sand 
seem almost necessary to its existence. It spends a good deal of its time 
on the shore, especially durmg the heat of the day, and it is very shy and 
difficult to approach. It breeds at high elevations in the Himalayas and 
Central Asia, making its nest on cliffs or in holes in the ground. 
