TEAL. 27 



white; lesser wing coverts, greyish brown; primaries, dull 

 blackish brown. Of the secondaries the first six are of a 

 fine velvet black, the next of a resplendent glossy green, and 

 both tipped with white; the speculum, or spangle, has the 

 first feathers black, tipped with white, and a small rich speck 

 of burnished green at the base; this spot continues to increase 

 in the other feathers till the entire half of each becomes 

 rich green with a reflection of blue; the last feather con- 

 siderably pointed. The long tertiaries have some of the feathers 

 half grey, and one feather near the beauty spot has one 

 side dull grey, the other rich bright grey near the quill, 

 then black, and finally edged with white. Greater and lesser 

 under wing coverts, white. The tail is of fourteen feathers, 

 slightly pointed, pale dusky brown, edged with white; the 

 two middle feathers slightly extended and grey, edged with 

 a narrow line of buff; underneath the tail is ash grey. Upper 

 tail coverts, almost black, edged with rufous buff, some half 

 black; under tail coverts, broadly edged with white, the centre 

 feathers jet velvet black; outside these a pale but rich clear 

 spot of cream-colour, bounded on the upper side with black. 

 Legs and toes, brownish leaden grey, the joints darker; webs, 

 brownish leaden grey. 



The male assumes the plumage of the female in the summer, 

 by the end of July or beginning of August, and this he 

 retains till the general moult. 



The female has the upper bill yellow on the edges, olive 

 green on the sides, and olive brown on the ridge; the under 

 bill yellowish; the tooth black. A brown streak extending 

 to the nape is the substitute for the green patch behind the 

 eye. Head on the crown, light yellowish brown, spotted with 

 dark dusky brown; on the sides yellowish white, spotted with 

 dusky brown ; neck on the front and sides, freckled with half- 

 moon shaped marks of two shades of brown; on the back pale 

 dull yellowish, streaked with deep brown. Chin, pale brown; 

 throat, yellowish white, spotted with brown; breast on the 

 upper part, glossy yellowish white; on the lower part and 

 sides, dull white, with dark brown spots. Back on the upper 

 part, dark brown, with two narrow bars of yellowish buff brown 

 and whitish on each feather. The speculum has less green and 

 more of the purple tinge, and at the same time more black; 

 under tail coverts, dull white, spotted with dark brown. Legs 

 and toes with a tinge of yellow. 



