110 ANATID AG 
Geographical distribution.—Abroad, the Garganey breeds 
over a large area of Temperate Europe, especially in the 
Eastern section, also in Asia. It winters in Southern 
Europe, North and Tropical Africa, India, China, and Japan, 
visiting the Phillipines and other neighbouring islands in 
the Tropics. 
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 
PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial.—Top of head and back 
of neck, dark brown; cheeks and throat, rich reddish-brown, 
pencilled with short thin lines of white ; extending from the 
front of each eye to the nape of the neck is a noticeable 
white band, by which the Garganey may be distinguished 
at some distance; back, dark brown with a lighter edge to 
the feathers ; wing-coverts, chiefly bluish-grey with a green 
speculum margined by two white bars; scapulars, long 
and pointed, black in colour, each with a central line of 
white ; primaries and tail, brown ; chin, black; breast, light 
brown, each feather being edged with a dark brown 
crescent; abdomen, white; flanks, coarsely pencilled with 
transverse lines of black on a white ground; under the tail 
these dark lines shorten into spots. 
Adult male, post-nuptial or eclipse.—Resembles the adult 
female plumage, but the alar speculum is much brighter. 
Adult female nuptial.—Head more coarsely spotted with 
shades of brown; face-line much less distinct, smaller than 
in the male and yellowish rather than pure ‘white ; back, 
rather similar in colour to the drake, but with a bolder 
pattern ; wing-coverts, chiefly greyish-brown ; chin, white ; 
breast, chequered in different shades of sveyish- -white and 
brown ; sides and flanks, chequered light and dark brown. 
Adult winter, male and female.—Similar to the respec- 
tive nuptial plumages. 
Immature, male and female.—Resembles the adult female 
plumage. 
Beak. Black. 
FrEtT. Greenish-grey. 
IripEs. Hazel. 
AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 
TOTAL LENGTH ... ... 16 in. Female smaller. 
WING * rsa See Ie hoes. 
BEAK ae sete a stloies 
TARSO-METATARSUS UP soe. 
Eee 1°85 S453) ain! 
