16 INDIAN SPOKTING BIRDS 



not get tired of. In disposition the teal is very sociable and 

 fond of its mate ; it is also excessively " cheeky " with larger 

 ducks ; I have several times seen a full-winged one which had 

 been bred at the London " Zoo " and used to return to visit its 

 pinioned comrades, in the thick of a fight with an Andaman 

 teal or Chilian wigeon {Mareca sibilatrix), both of them far 

 bigger and redoubtable fighters in their way, and I once saw 

 another in St. James's Park chasing a female mallard, to her 

 great indignation and the surprise of her mate. These teal may 

 now and then be found in India in any month of the year, 

 but there is no reason to believe they breed there. They are 

 found all across the Old World. Some Hindustani names are 

 Chota Murgliahi, Piitari, and Soiichnruka ; Baigilagairi is used 

 in Nepal and Kardo in Sind ; while the Canarese name is 

 Sorlai-haki, the Tamil Killoioai, and the Bengali ones Naroib 

 or Tulsia-higri. 



Gargaiicy. 



Querquedula circia. Chaitwa, Hindustani. 



The garganey is often called the blue-wing teal to distinguish 

 it from the common or green-winged teal ; there is, as a matter 

 of fact, no actual bright blue about the wing, but the inner half, 

 in the drake, is of a delicate French grey, very noticeable in 

 flight, and his white eyebrows are also striking points ; while on 

 the water the mottled brown of the fore- and hind-parts, con- 

 trasting with the grey of the sides, are characteristic. Except 

 for the wing-bar, which is of a rather subdued green, there is no 

 bright colour about this little duck, but nevertheless he is a very 

 striking bird. 



The female, in her plain mottled-brown plumage, is at first 

 sight just like the female common teal, but has not the brilliant 

 green wing-patch. The male in undress can be distinguished by 

 the lavender and green on the wings ; on the water with wings 

 folded he is just like his mate, and he bears his undress plumage 

 longer than any other duck, not coming into male colour till the 

 spring. The garganey is a slightly bigger bird than the common 

 teal, weighing generally about thirteen ounces and even reaching 



