THE GARGANEY 335 



teal, with no tinge of green and that it nests 

 regularly in the Norfolk Broads, and also in other 

 parts of the same county, where, owing to pro- 

 tection, it is on the increase. Handsome bird as 

 is the common teal, the garganey is equally if not 

 more so, and more graceful in shape. In size it 

 is rather larger than the teal, measuring from 

 fifteen to sixteen inches in length, as compared 

 with thirteen to fifteen. 



The plumage of the male bird in spring is as 

 follows : Forehead, crown, and nape dark brown. 

 From above the eye, and running nearly parallel 

 with this dark colour, is a white stripe extending 

 nearly the entire length of the neck ; the cheeks 

 and neck are of a reddish-brown, variegated with 

 fine horizontal white lines ; the breast pale brown, 

 with dark brown horizontal lines ; the belly white ; 

 under tail- coverts black and white, freckled and 

 barred ; tail dark brown ; the back dark brown ; 

 the scapulars long, black striped with white ; the 

 wing green, with two white bars ; the primary 

 feathers brown. The plumage of the female 

 much resembles that of the female of the 

 common. teal, but without the green on the wing, 

 the shoulders being tinged with gray. The male 

 changes its plumage to that of the female during 

 the breeding season. 



Before closing this chapter, it may be as well to 

 draw the attention of the reader to the fact that 

 nearly all the immature males of the duck tribe 

 resemble the females in their plumage until after 

 the first moult. 



