The True Ducks. 185 



Mr. F. W. Styan tells us that in the Lower 

 Yangtse Basin this Teal is " abundant 

 in winter. Generally found in vast flocks 

 in wild open marshes and lakes, and not, 

 like the Common Teal, on ponds, creeks, 

 and paddy-fields. Comparatively few, 

 therefore, are shot." 



Taczanowski describes the eggs as being 

 somewhat larger than those of the Gar- 

 ganey, and the colour pale greyish green, 

 very like that of the eggs of the Mallard. 

 They vary from about i'8 to 1*9 in length, 

 and from about 1*3 to 1*4 in breadth. 



After the autumn moult the adult male 

 has the forehead, the crown, the lower 

 part of the hindneck, the chin and throat 

 and a broad band from the eye to the 

 lower part of the throat, black, each 

 feather tipped with buff; and these black 

 parts everywhere bordered with whitish. 

 The sides of the head, the sides of the 

 neck, and the foreneck are buff, each 

 feather tipped with black. A broad 

 metallic green band runs from the eye 

 down the side of the neck. This band 

 is separated from the buff of the lower 

 neck by a black band, and from the black 

 of the hindneck by a white band. The 

 middle portion of the mantle is brown ; 

 the lateral portions are beautifully vermi- 



