^4 WITH BOAT? AND GUN IN THE YANGTZE VALLEY. 



The Garganey Teal {Querquedula circia) is not a common bird in China, but still it 

 may now and again be met with. It is a striking looking duck with its glossy green black 

 crest, black bill, white band from eye to back of neck, breast mottled brown and black : 

 long fine wavy black feathers centred with white. Weight I lb. to 1/4 lbs. 



The Spectacled Teal {Eiinetta fonnosa) very common on the Yangtze, is not improperly 

 named from its markings in the region of the eye to chin. Its chin and crest are a deep dark 

 green. The body, generally, is of a pale buff colour. Weight about I lb. 



The Falcate Teal (Eunetta falcata) is another very common bird in China. It is a 

 very graceful looking fowl, with its long drooping grey back feathers. Head rufous brown, 

 bill black, chin white, breast and belly beautifully mottled grey. Weight I lb. 



The Siberian White-eyed duck (Fuligula haeri) is described by Styan as "scarce in its 

 appearance, but when met with it seems numerous." 



The Mandarin Duck {Aix galeriailata) is the most gorgeously plumaged of any of the 

 ducks. Once it was fairly common in the provinces of Kiangsu and Chekiang, but its 

 numbers have been saddly thinned of late years, largely for the feathers which are chiefly 

 exported to Paris. 



Wood in his natural history offers this word picture of this lovely bird : "The crest of 

 this beautiful bird is varied green and purple upon the top of the head, the long crest-like 

 feathers being chestnut and green. From the eye to the beak is a warm fawn, and a stripe 

 from the eye to the back of the neck is a soft cream. The sides of the neck are clothed 

 with long pointed feathers of bright russet, and the front of the neck and the breast are 

 rich shining purple. The curious wing-fans that stand erect like the wings of a butterfly 

 are chestnut edged with the deepest green, and the shoulders are banded with four stripes, 

 two black and two white. The under-surface in white." 



This completes the list of our surface feeding ducks, all of which are most excellent 

 table birds, each with its distinctive flavour, and all with their respective champions. 



Truly China is most fortunate in the abundance of its wild fowl supplies. 



The Diving Ducks in China are limited in variety and not at all prominent in numbers. 



The species most frequently met with is the Pochard {Fuligula ferina) which may be 

 recognized by the chestnut red of the head and upper part of the neck, and the rich, deep 

 velvet black of the lower part. Its grey back is profusely sprinkled with flecks of a darker 

 tint. Its bill, and this feature is very important, is black at the point and base, and pale blue 

 in the middle. In Europe it is variously called " the Poker, Dunbird or simply Redhead." 

 Its weight runs from iM to 2 lbs. 



The Scaup {Fuligula marila) is a very short, thickset bird. Its head is black as is also 

 its bill: breast grey mottled, wing coverts black with white bars: undersurface greyish 

 white. Weight i^ to 2 lbs. 



The Tufted Duck {Fuligula cristata) so named from the feathers on the back of the 

 head which form a drooping crest. Head, breast, neck and all the upper plumage black 

 with green, bronze and purple tints : under plumage white. It is said that with the exception 

 of the Pochard it is the only diving duck that is fit for food, but those who once have had 

 an experience of the " fishy " flavour of any of the divers have never been known to desire 

 a repetition of the dish. 



