THE TEAL AND GARGANEY 217 



crossing each other, then sprang up again. " She's 

 found," whispered the looker, with his finger touch- 

 ing the trigger. A few more nods and bends among 

 the reeds, then a slight flutter, and up sprang a 

 Teal ; but it was no sooner up than down. Luce 

 brought it to her master, wagging her tail at a rare 

 rate. It was a fine drake Garganey. 



" Luce must ha' worked him close afore he 

 sprung, fur he dived. Look here," said the looker, 

 as he handed me the bird, " he's wet under the 

 wings." 



THE TEAL. 



(Querquedula crecca.) 



MALE. The bill is black ; iris brown ; head and 

 upper part of neck chestnut brown. From the eye 

 to the nape is a shining green oblong patch, narrowed 

 behind, and margined in front and below with a black 

 band and a white line. A curved band of white 

 rises from the base of the lower mandible and passes 

 over the eye ; the feathers margining the base of 

 the bill dusky ; the throat brownish-black ; on the 

 middle of the hind-neck is a black patch. The upper 

 parts are waved with brownish-black and white ; the 

 hind-part of back brownish-grey, faintly waved ; the 

 scapulars partly grey, yellowish-white, and black. 

 The wing coverts, primary quills, and coverts 

 are brownish-grey ; outer secondary coverts reddish- 

 white towards the end. Beauty-spot velvet black, 

 and bright green glossed with purple ; upper tail. 



