144 GARGANEY TEAL. 



speculum of the wings is ashy-green, bordered with 

 two white bands : the belly is white, or whitish-yel- 

 low : on the sides are several black zigzag lines : the 

 legs are ash-coloured. The female, which is less, 

 has a white band, marked with brown spots, behind 

 and beneath the eyes : the throat is white : the plu- 

 mage above is blackish-brown edged with clear brown ; 

 beneath whitish : the speculum is dull green : the 

 irides brown. The young males, before they moult, 

 resemble the female ; and at the commencement of the 

 winter they have the white throat, and many of the 

 feathers, which are common to the old males, mixed 

 with several brown ones : the white band is then 

 spotted with brown: the reddish-brown on the head 

 is less deep : the belly is not shaded with yellowish, 

 but generally varied with brown spots. 



The labyrinth of the trachea of the male of this 

 species is entirely bony, like that of the common Wild 

 Duck, of an oval shape, three or four times as large 

 as that of the common Teal, and very different ; it is 

 placed perpendicular to the trachea: on one side is a 

 slight indentation for the admission of two muscles ; 

 on the opposite side, or that situated next to the 

 breast, it is flattened, and from the upper part of it 

 the bronchiae, or the divarication of the windpipe, 

 originate. 



The Garganey inhabits the more temperate cli- 

 mates of Europe, frequenting the borders of those 

 lakes, rivers, and marshes which are well clothed 

 with rushes: it is abundant in Holland during its 

 winter migration, but is in no great plenty in this 

 country, where it does not make its appearance till 



