and long heather in some forest swamp not far from the water, or among 

 the rushes or long grass near some reedy loch. As a rule a fairly dry site 

 is chosen for the nest, which is usually very artfully concealed amongst 

 heather or under some small willow bush or tuft of coarse grass. It is a 

 somewhat deep hollow lined with a little dry grass, and a profusion of down, 

 which is added as the full complement of eggs is reached. 



From eight to twelve eggs are laid, nine or ten being the general clutch. 

 They are buffish white in colour, sometimes tinged with a greenish shade, and 

 vary in length from 175 to 1-55 inch, and in breadth from 1*40 to 1-28 

 inch. The eggs of the Teal are slightly smaller than those of the Garganey, 

 but the down is the most certain means of identification, that of the Teal 

 being dark brown without any white tips, while that of the Garganey is a 

 somewhat greyer brown with peculiarly long white tips, even more conspicuous 

 than those on the down of the Shoveler and Wigeon. 



The period of incubation lasts about twenty-two days ; and after the 

 young are hatched the drake assists his mate in the care of them until they 

 are nearly fully fledged, when he retires to some lonely place until he has 

 assumed his brown plumage. Young in down have the upper parts dark 

 brown, with whitish spots on the sides of the rump, wings, and scapulars. 

 The under-parts are pale brown, palest on the belly and shading into buff 

 on the throat. There is a buff stripe over the eye, and a dark brown spot 

 on the end of the ear-coverts is prolonged into a dark streak which joins 

 a brown stripe passing through the eye on the side of the neck. 



There are very few prettier sights than a brood of young Teal swimming 

 about on some dark, peaty, forest pool, closely attended by their watchful 

 parents. The little birds are very tame, and, if the observer sits quite still, 

 the family party will swim in and out among the reeds at quite a short 

 distance. 



no 



