496 BIRDS OF SOMEESETSHIRE. 



the tail- coverts much pointed and margined with pale 

 yellowish brown ; lesser wing-coverts darkish grey ; 

 the greater coverts of the secondaries tipped with 

 white, except a few nearest the body, which are 

 tipped with pale chesnut ; the primary quills dark 

 greyish brown ; speculum on secondaries velvety 

 black, glossed with green on those nearest the 

 body a very bright glossy green ; tertials, the outer 

 web of the one next the secondaries velvet-black, the 

 rest like the primary quills ; the tail the same, the 

 feathers much pointed, the breast buff, spotted with 

 black ; belly paler, nearly white, and not spotted ; 

 vent black ; central under tail-coverts black, the rest 

 pale buff; legs, toes and webs brownish grey. The 

 male Teal has the same change of plumage in the 

 summer as the Mallard, and becomes at that time 

 much more like the female. The female has the 

 head dark brown, streaked with pale and reddish 

 brown ; cheeks and sides of the neck pale whitish 

 brown, spotted with black ; the back and scapular 

 feathers dark brown, marked and margined with 

 whitish and reddish brown ; the wings are much the 

 same as in the male ; the chin pale whitish brown ; 

 throat the same, speckled with black ; breast, Hanks 

 and thighs dark brown, mottled with pale brown ; 

 belly nearly white ; under tail- coverts the same, 

 spotted with dark brown. 



The eggs are of a uniform white, tinged with 

 buff. 



