342 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
black ; the remainder of the head and neck rufous-brown 
finely streaked with white ; back, ramp, and upper tail coverts 
brown with pale edges to the feathers ; the scapulars, which 
are elongated, black with white shaft-stripes ; the outer webs 
of the outer scapulars and the wing coverts lavender-gray ; 
the tips of the secondary coverts white ; tail feathers and 
primary quills dark brown ; the secondaries with glossy green 
outer webs and white tips, tertiaries dark brown with narrow 
white borders. The breast is buff or brownish with concentric 
bars of dark brown ; abdomen white, speckled with brown 
towards the vent and on the tail coverts ; the flanks marked 
with narrow wavy dark lines. 
In the off season males resemble females, but retain the 
bright wing bar and lavender-gray wing coverts. 
Female: upper parts brown, with pale borders to each 
feather ; the top of the head dark brown ; a buff spot on the 
lores, and a white stripe running back from above the eye; 
ehin and throat whitish ; the sides of the head and neck and 
the fore-neck white, streaked with brownish-black ; the wing 
coverts grayish-brown or ash-coloured ; the wing bar is absent, 
or is merely a faint tinge of bronze-green between the white 
bars formed by the tips of the secondary coverts and of the 
secondary quills; the breast and abdomen white, spotted 
towards the vent and on the flanks and lower tail coverts with 
brown. 
Young males resemble the females. 
Bill black-brown ; iris hazel; legs and feet lead-colour to 
greenish. 
Length 16; wing 7°75; tail 2°75; tarsus 1:1; bill from 
gape 1°75. 
Females are rather smaller. 
Distribution —A winter visitor, chiefly to the northern 
lagoons, but sometimes extending down the east coast as far 
as Hambantota. Found at this season throughout India and 
Burma. It is a migratory species, breeding in Central Europe 
and Asia and wintering southwards. 
Habits —Very similar to those of the Common Teal. Like 
that species, it keeps, in Ceylon, to lagoons near the coast, 
though mainly a fresh-water bird. 
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