TEAL. 27 
white; lesser wing coverts, greyish brown; primaries, dull 
blackish brown. Of the secondaries the first six are of a 
fine velvet black, the next of a resplendent glossy green, and 
both tipped with white; the speculum, or spangle, has the 
first feathers black, tipped with white, and a small rich speck 
of burnished green at the base; this spot continues to increase 
in the other feathers till the entire half of each becomes 
rich green with a reflection of blue; the last feather con- 
siderably pointed. ‘The long tertiaries have some of the feathers 
half grey, and one feather near the beauty spot has one 
side ‘dull grey, the other rich bright grey near the quill, 
then black, and finally edged with white. Greater and lesser 
under wing coverts, white. The tail is of fourteen feathers, 
slightly pointed, pale dusky brown, edged with white; the 
two middle feathers slightly extended and grey, edged with 
a narrow line of buff; underneath the tail is ash grey. Upper 
tail coverts, almost black, edged with rufous buff, some half 
black; under tail coverts, broadly edged with white, the centre 
feathers jet velvet black; outside these a pale but rich clear 
spot of cream-colour, bounded on the upper side with black. 
Legs and toes, brownish leaden grey, the joints darker; webs, 
brownish leaden orey. 
The male assumes the plumage of the female in the summer, 
by the end of July or beginning of August, and this he 
retains till the general moult. 
The female has the upper bill yellow on the edges, olive 
green on the sides, and olive brown on the ridge; the under 
bill yellowish; the tooth black. A brown streak extending 
to the nape is the substitute for the green patch behind the 
eye. Head on the crown, light yellowish brown, spotted with 
dark dusky brown; on the sides yellowish white, spotted with 
dusky brown; neck on the front and sides, freckled with half- 
moon shaped marks of two shades of brown; on the back pale 
dull yellowish, streaked with deep brown. Chin, pale brown; 
throat, yellowish white, spotted with brown; breast on the 
upper part, glossy yellowish white; on the lower part and 
sides, dull white, with dark brown spots. Back on the upper 
part, dark brown, with two narrow bars of yellowish buff brown 
and whitish on each feather. The speculum has less green and 
more of the purple tinge, and at the same time more black; 
under tail coverts, dull white, spotted with dark brown. Legs 
and toes with a tinge of yellow. 
