BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 221 



localities, I have seen large flocks of Black Duck, Teal, and 

 Shoveller all feeding together or resting on the mud at low tide. 

 As the tide rises the flocks scatter into small parties and a sharp 

 look-out is kept for possible enemies. 



At St. Helens, Swansea, and other places along the East 

 Coast, the Black Duck is at times extremely plentiful, but often 

 verv diflicult of approach. 



TEAL 



(Nettion castaneuni, Eyton). 



Male. — Head and neck dull glossy green; mantle and back 

 black, the feathers margined with chestnut; rump, upper and 

 under tail coverts black, glossed with green; tail brownish-black; 

 scapulars and wings dark olive-brown, the former narrowly 

 margined with chestnut; the last row of upper wing coverts white, 

 with a shght tinge of reddish ; wing speculum glossy black, along 

 the upper edge of which is a metallic green band glossed with 

 coppery-red; secondaries tipped with reddish-white; breast and 

 abdomen chestnut, with black spots ; on the lower flanks a whitish- 

 buff band; under wing coverts olive-brown; axillaries white; 

 " bill bluish lead colour, nail and the edges of the upper mandible 

 black ; the under mandible crossed near the tip b}^ a band of red- 

 dish-flesh colour; irides hazel; feet lead colour, with the mem- 

 branes of a somewhat darker hue " (Gould). Dimensions in mm. : 

 —Length, 470; bill, 339; wing, 228; tail, 115; tarsus, 34. 



Female. — Crown of the head dark brown, almost black, some 

 of the feathers streaked with buff; sides of the head whitish, more 

 or less streaked with blackish; chin and throat whitish, unspotted; 

 back, rump, and tail blackish-brown, the feathers of the upper 

 back margined with pale rufous ; wing coverts uniform dark 

 greyish-brown, the last row white; speculum on the secondaries 

 velvety-black, tipped with white, three middle secondaries metallic 

 green on the outer web ; primaries dark brown ; under surface 

 reddish-grey, the feathers having a large central mark of black; 

 towards the vent the central mark becomes brownish ; under wing 

 coverts brown, axillaries white. Dimensions in min. : — Length, 

 462; bill, 37; wing, 200; tail, 101; tarsus, 30. 



Young in Down. — " Upper parts brown; the upper part of the 

 head darker; sides of the head, fore-neck, and lower parts whitish, 

 with a ruf escent tinge ; a dark brown band from the lores through 

 the eyes backwards ; a small dark spot at the gape ; two whitish 

 rufescent spots on the back at the base of the wings and two more 

 on the sides of the rump " (B. M. Cat.) 



Nest. — "Usually in a hollow tree, but occasionally on the 

 ground in grass or other herbage in the vicinity of water ; furnished 

 with a plentiful supply of down. Should the nest be on the 



