INDIAN DUCKS AND THEIR ALLIES. 247 



June is the earliest date on which the bird was seen, yet the last dis- 

 appeared on the 23vd of August, giving little over two months for the 

 whole business of making the nest, laying the eggs, hatching— which, 

 we may presume, would take from 20 to 25 days— and bringing up the 

 young. As it would take some 10 days to lay the normal clutch of eggs 

 and about five at least to make the nest, the only conclusion is that once 

 hatched the young take well under the month to arrive at their full 

 powers of flight. As this is not quite likely, it is probable that though 

 no birds were seen before the date mentioned, yet many must have arrived 

 in late May, and when we look at the dates they arrive elsewhere, this 

 is the most probable solution. 



In the Amur they arrive and breed very much earlier. Tlie only egg 

 of this duck in my collection is one of many I owe to the generosity of 

 Herr M. Kuschel of Broslau, who has given me one bearing the date 

 " 28th April, 18^»5." The early date of this egg supports the idea that 

 they must breed earlier than in June in Northern Siberia also. 



The egg is a typical Teal's Qg^, the texture very smooth and fine but 

 without any gloss ; the shape oval with one end decidedly smaller than 

 the other, though obtuse ; the colour is a very pale, creamy cafe-au- 

 lad. In size it is 2" long by 1'37" broad, which makes it a rather 

 longer, yet, at the same time, a rather narrower, egg than those hitherto 

 described. 



Taezanowski thus describes a clutch of eggs sent him from Darasan, 

 where they breed in numbers, by DyboAvski :— They are somewhat 

 larger than those of the Garganey ; their colour is a pale greyish- 

 green, very like that of the eggs of the Mallard. They vary from about 

 1-8" to 1-0" in length and from about To" to 1'4" in breadth. 

 25. Nettion crecca. 

 Tlie Common Teal. 



Anas crecca, Legge, " Birds of Ceylon," p. 1083. 



Querquedula crecca, Jerdon, " Birds of India," III, p. 806 ; Hume 

 " Str. Feath,," I, p. 262 : Adam, Hid, p. 402 ; Butler, ihid, IV, p. 30 ; 

 Hume and Davis, lUd, VI, p. 489 ; Davids, and "Wend., ihid, VII, p. 93 ; 

 Ball, ihid, p. 232 ; Hume, ihid, p. 494 ; id.. Cat., ^o. 964 ; Scully, " Str, 

 Feath.," VIII, p. 363 ; Hume and Marshall, " Game Birds," III, p. 

 2uri ; Vidal, " Str. Feath.," IX, p. 03 ; Butler, ibid, p. 438 ; lleid, ihid, 



