The Cotton-Teal. 131 



The Cotton-Teal breeds throughout 

 the rains, and nests may be found at 

 any time from June to September, the 

 month varying, no doubt, according to 

 locaHty. In Burma I found a nest in 

 September, and probably, in this particular 

 case, the birds had had an earlier brood. 

 In Ceylon they are said to breed in the 

 early part of the year. 



The nest seldom consists of anything 

 more than a few twigs and feathers, and 

 very frequently the eggs are laid in a 

 hollow without any preparation. The 

 site selected is a hole in the trunk of 

 a tree or in a big branch ; sometimes 

 a hole in an old ruin, or even in a 

 chimney, but seldom at any great height 

 from the ground ; although the only nest 

 of this species that I ever found in 

 Burma was about thirty feet from the 

 ground. 



Mr. F. R. Blewitt tells us that this 

 Teal makes a semi-floating nest on the 

 water, among the rushes or lotus-leaves, 

 of weeds, grass, etc., filled up several 

 inches above the water-level. This was 

 on a lake near Jhansi. I have heard 

 of no other instance of this bird making 

 a nest on the water. 



Ten is perhaps the most usual number 



