ANATIN^E. 409 



Male, forehead and crown creamy-yellow ; rest of the head 

 and upper part of the neck cKesnut-red ; the cheeks speckled 

 with black ; back minutely barred with transverse wavy lines of 

 black and white ; scapulars black, edged with white ; tail 

 blackish-grey ; wing-coverts pure white ; the greater-coverts with 

 velvet-black tips, some of the lesser ones, near the body, pale 

 greyish ; quills cinereous-brown ; speculum of three bars, the middle 

 one glossy green, the upper and under ones black ; chin and 

 throat black ; lower part of the neck and breast vinaceous-red ; 

 abdomen white; the flanks with black and white wavy lines; 

 under tail-coverts black, glossed green. 



The female has the head and neck fulvous-brown, speckled 

 with dusky ; the back and scapulars dusky brown with reddish 

 edges ; wing-coverts brown, edged with whitish ; the speculum 

 without the dark green gloss ; the breast and belly much as in 

 the male ; the flanks rufous-brown with ashy tips ; bill and legs 

 more dusky than in the male. 



During the cold season, the Wigeon is more or less common 

 throughout the district ; on its first arrival and for some weeks 

 after it is good eating, but afterwards acquires a muddy flavor. 



GENUS, Querquedula, Stephens. 



Bill of moderate length and of uniform width, slightly raised 

 at the base ; the lamellae not apparent ; the nail small, and the 

 tip obtuse ; wings long and pointed ; tail wedge shaped, of 14 

 or 16 feathers. 



Querquedula crecca, Linn. 



964. Jerdon's Birds" of India," Vol. II, p. 806; Butler, Guzerat ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 30 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, 

 Vol. IX, p. 438 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind', 

 p. 300 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p. 205 ; Swinhoe 

 and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 137. 



THE COMMON TEAL. 



<. Length, J4'5 to 15'85 ; expanse, 23'0 to 25'25 ; wing, 7*2 to 

 8'0 ; tail, 3-0 to 3'6 ; tarsus, 11 to T3; bill from gape, T65 to 

 1-8 ; weight, 10J to 15 ozs. 



? . Length, 13*5 to 14"9 ; expanse, 22'5 to 25'0 ; wing, 6'5 to 

 7'4; tail, 2'9 to 3 '5 ; tarsus, TO to 1 '2 ; bill from gape, I' 5 to 

 177 ; weight, 7A to 12 ozs. 



Bill blackish ; irides hazel-brown ; legs and feet greyish-brown. 

 Male, crown of head, cheeks, front and sides of the neck, 

 ferruginous-brown ; on the sides of the head, enclosing the eye, a 

 large patch of deep glossy green, passing off backwards to the 

 nape in the form oi a black band. ; back and scapulars beautifully 

 marked with transverse undulating lines of black and white, 

 some of the longer scapulars creamy-yellow with a portion of 

 their outer webs velvet-black ; tail hair-brown, the feathers edged 



