TEAL 



289 



birds are caught in large numbers and kept in confinement for the 

 table during the cold season. All the species of the genus (which 

 has a world-wide range) are small, and in most the colouring of the 

 sexes is different. From the mallard and its kin they differ by the 

 smaller number of tail-feathers, which are usually fourteen or sixteen ; 

 while they are distinguished from the gadwall b}- the beak being 

 narrower, with less prominent transverse plates, and by the coloured 

 wing-speculum. The upper wing-coverts are ashy grey. 



The drake is a really handsome little bird, with the bright chest- 

 nut head and neck set off by a broad area of dark metallic green, 

 bordered above, in front, and below by a narrow white line, and ex- 

 tending backwards from 

 the eye on to the neck. 

 In marked contrast to 

 this is the mottled grey 

 hue of the back and 

 flanks, caused by the 

 presence of a number 

 of very fine black and 

 white lines ; the fore part 

 of the breast is creamy 

 with black spots, and the 

 remainder white ; green 

 and purplish black char- 

 acterise the " speculum " 

 of the wing, which is 



bordered in front with huffish and behind with pure white 

 the under tail-coverts have the middle black, a patch of 

 buff on each side, and a black bar across the base. When 

 non-breeding plumage, the head and neck of the drake change to 

 brown (becoming almost black on the crown) ; the fore part of the 

 back is dusky barred with buff, although retaining a few of the finely 

 lineated feathers ; and the tail-feathers are pale chestnut spotted with 

 black and buff. At all seasons the head and neck of the duck are 

 wood-brown, more or less spotted with black ; the feathers of the back 

 and flanks being dusky margined with brown, and the wing-patch lack- 

 ing the buffish-white front border of the drake. Young birds resemble 

 their female parent. In the duckling the down of the upper-parts is 

 brown passing into buff on the forehead and throat, with a dark brown 

 streak running from the forehead to the crown, and a pair of similar 

 streaks from each eye backwards to the nape of the neck. 



U 



iE ROWLAND ' 



TEAL (DKAKE) 



while 

 bright 

 in the 



