335 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
stripe down the back of the nape ; the chestnut on the wing 
coverts is not nearly so pronounced ; the upper tail coverts 
are creamy-white, while the sides and front of the lower neck 
are whitish, with small and often inconspicuous dusky streaks. 
Bill blue-black ; iris brown ; eyelids pale livid ; legs and 
feet dark lead-colour. 
Length 20; wing9; tail2; tarsus 2-25 ; billfrom gape 2°4. 
Distribution —A few specimens were once obtained near 
Mannar. It is occasionally found in various parts of India 
and Burma, but its main habitat is in Central and South 
America, tropical and South Africa, and Madagascar. 
Habits—Similar to those of the common Whistling Teal ; 
the birds associate in small flocks, and should be looked for 
on the north coast of the Island. 
NETTOPUS COROMANDELIANUS (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 433). 
NETTAPUS COROMANDELIANUS (Legge, p. 1066). 
The Cotton Teal ; Quacky Duck. 
Description.—Males in the breeding season have the fore- 
head, crown, and nape brown ; the rest of the head, the neck, 
and lower parts are white, with a broad black collar, glossed 
with green behind, round the neck. The remainder of the 
upper parts down to the rump are dark brown glossed with 
green and purple ; the outer half of the primaries white tipped 
with black ; white tips to the secondaries ; wing lining brown ; 
flanks white vermiculated with brown, which increases in 
density on the upper tail coverts ; tail dark brown ; under 
tail coverts mottled brown and white. 
In winter the male loses the black collar, and resembles the 
female, but retains the white on the primaries and some of the 
gloss on the wings and back. 
Female : crown and nape brown ; a brown stripe from the 
base of the bill through the eyes ; the rest of the head, the 
neck, and upper breast grayish-white with stipplings and wavy 
_bars of brown; remainder of under plumage dirty white 
mixed with brown, darkest on the flanks and under wing 
coverts. The upper surface, wings, and tail are brown ; inner 
primaries and secondaries with white tips ; upper tail coverts 
freckled white and brown. 
