444 ANATID^E. 



secondary coverts buffy white to pale cinnamon, other coverts 

 brown ; breast white, more or less sullied, spotted with round 

 black spots ; abdomen white ; under tail-coverts black in the middle, 

 buff at the sides, the longer white-edged. 



As with other true Ducks, a plumage resembling that of the 

 female is assumed after breeding, about June, and the full male 

 garb is only regained in October. The buff and black lanceolate 

 scapulars are generally wanting in winter and appear in January 

 or February. 



Female. Upper parts, wings, an4 tail dark brown, with pale 

 edges to the feathers ; wing-speculum as in the male, but the 

 larger secondary coverts are white or buffy white ; lower parts 

 white or whitish, sides and lower surface of head and neck speckled 

 and marked with brown ; breast with larger spots. 



Bill nearly black ; irides brown ; legs and feet brownish grej r . 



Length of male 15 ; tail 2-7 ; wing 7*5 ; tarsus 1*2 ; bill from 

 gape 1*7. Females are rather smaller : wing 7. Tail-feathers 

 16, occasionally 18. 



Distribution. Europe, North Africa, and Asia. This Teal breeds 

 in the north temperate zone or in tracts with the same temperature 

 and comes south in winter. It is probably found throughout 

 India, Ceylon, and Burma in the cold season, but does not appear 

 to have been observed in Southern Tenasserim, the Andaman and 

 Nicobar Islands, nor in Malabar. 



Habits, c. The Teal is perhaps the most generally spread of ail 

 the migratory Ducks in India, and may be found from early in 

 October till April generally in small flocks, but often in pairs or 

 singly, in almost any rushy or weedy pond or stream or swamp, 

 as well as on larger pieces of water or on rivers. Large flocks are 

 .also met with, though less frequently. The usual note is a subdued 

 " quack," but Teal also have a whistle, used chiefly at night. 

 Their flight is very swift. They feed chiefly on plants and are 

 always good eating. In Upper India large numbers both of this 

 species and of Querquedula circia are caught in nets in the early 

 spring and kept in " Tealeries," small covered buildings with a good 

 supply of water, through the hot season, being fed on grain and 

 grass or lucerne. They become very fat and delicious. Teal are 

 not known to breed in India, nor even in the Himalayas. 



1598. Nettium albigulare. The Andaman Teal. 



? Querquedula andamanensis, Tytler, Ibis, 1867, p. 333 (descr. nulla). 

 Mareca punctata, apud Sail, J. A. S. B. xli, pt. 2, p. 290 ; id. S. P. 



i, p. 88 ; nee Anas punctata, Cuv. 

 Mareca albogularis, Hume, S. F. i, p. 303 (1873). 

 Mareca gibberifrons, apud Walden, Ibis, 1873, p. 321 ; Hume, N. fy E. 



p 644 ; id. S. F. ii, p. 316 ; A. L. Butler, Jour. Bom. N. H. Soc. 



xi, p. 332; nee S. Miill. 

 Querquedula gibberifrons, apud Hume, Cat. no. 966 ter ; Hume fy 



Marsh. Game B. iii, p. 243, pi. ; Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. 



iii, p. 290. 

 Nettion albigulare, Salvador*, Cat. B. M. xxvii, p. 257, pi. ii, fig. 1. 



