THE SHIELDED DUCK. 
Anas scutulata. 
Plate XLIX. 
This is a scarce Indian species of Duck, of which little is known. It appears to have been first discovered in 
Java, by the Dutch Naturalist, Solomon Miiller, by whom it was described in the notes to the ethnographical 
volume of the great Dutch work on the Natural History of the foreign dependencies of the Netherlands 
under the name Anas scutulata. Shortly afterwards examples were brought from the Tenasserim provinces to 
the Museum of the Asiatic Society at Calcutta, and attracted the notice of its ever-watchful Curator Mr. 
Edward Blyth. Mr. Blyth described the bird in the Journal of the Society under the name Casarca leucoptera, 
and also transmitted drawings of it to the late well-known Ornithologist, Mr. II. E. Strickland, who gave a 
figure and short description of the species in the “ Contributions to Ornithology ” for 1850. 
In 1851 two living examples of this Duck were transmitted to England by Mr. Blyth. One of them 
reached this country alive, and passed into the Society’s possession. Mr. Wolf's drawing was taken from 
this bird in the following year, shortly after which the bird died, and was deposited in the British Museum. 
