436 GARGANEY. 



the western portion of the Spanish Peninsula. It is, however, during 

 the cold season that it is most abundant in the south ; its winter 

 migrations reaching to North Africa, Egypt, Somaliland, and portions 

 of Arabia. In Siberia Mr. Popham obtained it as far north as 

 Yeneseisk, and eastward it reaches Kamchatka and the Commander 

 Islands ; while it is common down to the Himalayas in summer, 

 and very abundant during winter in India (where it is known as 

 the Blue-winged Teal) ; and it also occurs sparsely in Japan, the 

 PhiUppines, China and the Malay Archipelago. 



The nest is sometimes placed among rough herbage, or in sedge 

 intermixed with coarse grass ; but also in heather, and in high, 

 fairly-drained — as well as open — situations. Laying begins in the latter 

 half of April or early in May, and the eggs, usually 8, though some- 

 times as many as 13 in number, are more creamy than those of the 

 Common Teal, with no tinge of green: measurements i"85 by 

 I "35 in. The food chiefly consists of small fish, aquatic insects 

 and molluscs, with little vegetable matter, and the bird is not, as 

 a rule, good for the table. Its usual note is a harsh knacky but in 

 spring the drake makes a peculiar jarring noise, like a child's rattle, 

 whence the name of " Crick " or " Cricket-Teal " in East Anglia. 

 This bird is rapid in its flight, and when swimming sits very high 

 in the water. 



The adult male in March has the forehead, crown and nape dark 

 brown, with a white stripe on each side from the eye and ear-coverts 

 to the back of the neck ; cheeks and neck nutmeg-brown, varied 

 with short hair-like lines of white ; back dark brown ; elongated 

 scapulars black with a central stripe of white ; wiiig-cove?-fs bluish-grey ; 

 patch on the secondaries green between two white bars ; primaries 

 and tail dull brown; chin black; breast pale brown, with dark 

 crescentic bands ; belly white ; flanks varied with transverse black 

 lines bounded by two broad bands ; under tail-coverts mottled black 

 and white ; bill black ; legs, toes and webs greenish lead-colour. 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney states that the male Garganey remains for an 

 unusually long period in the plumage of the female. Length 16 in. ; 

 wing 7 '8 in. The female is smaller, and has the head brown with 

 darker spots and lines ; over the eye a light yellowish-white band 

 mantle dark brown with rufous edges ; wing-coverts greyish-brown 

 speculum dull metallic-green between two bars of white ; chin white 

 breast varied with two shades of brown on a surface of greyish 

 white ; sides and flanks j)ale brown, varied with darker brown 

 Young males in their first plumage, as usual, resemble females. 



