332 THE ANIMALS OF NEW ZEALAND 



The Black Teal.— Papango. 



Fuligula novae-zcalancUae. 



Male — Head and neck black, glossy with purple above and green on the 

 sides. Upper surface and breast black, abdomen brownish white, speeuhim 

 white. Bill blue, tipped with black; legs and toes gi'ey, the webs black 

 margined with grey ; eye bright yellow. Female — Above dull black ; below 

 brown, mottled with white; a band of white round the upper mandible. 

 Length of the wing, 7.7.5 in.; of the tarsus, 1.25 in. Egg — Greyish cream 

 colour; length, 2.1 in. Both islands of New Zealand, but more common in 

 the North. 



tfiiiLErrhusinul T.rror.) 



Black Teal. 



This species, in colour, is very like the scaup duck of Europe, 

 but, unlike that species, it does not frecjuent the sea-shore, but 

 lives among rushy streams in small flocks. 



In the hill country of the South Island, about 1870, it was 

 fairly common. It is a gregarious bird, and it delights to assemble 

 in flocks. It may be seen, on some of the more secluded 

 lakes, swimming about and disporting with numbers of other 

 water-fowl, very frequently diving. Sometimes it breeds in the 

 shelter of a huge nigger-head. Mr. Potts has found its nest well 

 concealed by a large snow-grass tussock, within a few feet of 

 water, where there was a rent or crack in the ground. The nest is 

 of grass, thickly lined with down, with five eggs. 



According to Mr. Travers, those that occupy Lake Guyon are 

 generally to be found sitting on half-submerged logs close to the 



