NETTION ALIilGDLARE 211 



• 



' Kecti'ices IG." {BlKufnyd.) This refers to umle and female. 



Female. — " Similar to the male, Init smaller, and the lower surface duller, 

 and the centerings of the feathers less marked, the gi-een band on the wing 

 speculum more coppery. Total length l-j'5 to IG inches, wing 7'25 to 7'4, 

 culmen 1'3 to 1'35." {Salvadon.) 



Measurements.—" Length 15 to 16 inches, expanse 24 to 25'5, tail from 

 vent ;j'2.j to 3'5, wing 7'1 to 7'4, tarsus 1'25 to Y'ib, bill at front I'S to I'l, 

 wings when closed reach to within from 1 to 1'75 of the end of the tail. 

 Weight 12 ozs.'' {Hume.) 



" Young birds are similar to the females, but the dusky markings of the 

 under surface are even less distinct." iSalcadori.) 



A young: bird caught by Mr. Butler, and df-scribed by him in a letter 

 to me was : — 



Similar to the adult, except that the ring round the eye was 

 very narrow and tinged with fulvous. Bill and feet as in adults ; 

 eye dark-brown instead of reddish-brown." 



Distribution. — This teal is confined to the Andaman and Cocos 

 Islands, but Mr. C. W. Allan shot a specimen at Bassein, Burma, 

 which was found ainongst a flock of whistling teal, on the 1.5th April, 

 1S9S. This bird was recorded in the ' Asian,' and Mr. F. Finn wrote 

 to me that he identified the skin himself, and without any doubt it 

 was that of an Andaman Teal. Nothing was noted as to whether 

 the specimen was a drake or a duck. It was probably driven on to 

 the Burmese coast during some storm, having ventured too far out 

 to sea from the Andamans. 



Commander N. F. Wilson has procured specimens of this little 

 duck on the r4reat Cocos, and again on Landfall Island. He 

 remarks : — 



" I have always found the birds wherever a fresh-water lagoon 

 existed, and I do not think that tliere is any doulit that the bird is 

 general, both on the Andaman and Cocos Islands wherever the 

 above conditions exist." 



Ncttion gibberlfrona, N. caftineum and A", alhigulare are very 

 closely allied ; for a long time the first and the last were confounded 

 with one another, and even now it is by no means settled that 

 N. castaneum and A", gibberifrons are not one and the same bird. 

 The young males and females are absolutely indistinguishable, but 

 the adult male N. gibberifrons has been found to attain a further 

 plumage which, hitherto, no N. castaneum has been known to 



