BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 223 



GEEY TEAL 

 (Nettion gibberifrons, Mull.) 



Male. Upper part of the head dark brown, with the edges of 

 the feathers reddish or greyish ; sides of the head paler, thickly 

 streaked with black or brown; chin and throat white; upper 

 parts brown, the feathers edged with pale reddish ; feathers of the 

 lower back and rump almost uniform, with edges scarcely paler; 

 feathers of the under parts light fulvous on the margins, with 

 obscure brown spots in the centre, especially on the breast and 

 the sides of the body, each feather having a broad central mark 

 of blackish-brown ; sides and under tail coverts darker than the 

 rest of the under parts; wing coverts dark greyish-brown, with 

 an olive lustre, the greater series white, forming a band broader 

 outwardly than inwardly; speculum on the secondaries velvety- 

 black, tipped with a white band, but the three middle secondaries 

 metallic green on the outer w eb ; primaries and tail feathers dark 

 brown ; under wing coverts dark brown ; axillaries white ; irides 

 yellowish-brown; bill bluish-black; legs and feet lead colour, 

 tinged with yellow. Dimensions in mm. Length, 462; bill, 37; 

 wing, 200; tail, 101; tarsus, 30. 



Female. Somewhat smaller and less distinctly marked than 

 the male. I have seen individuals with the markings on the under 

 surface scarcely distinguishable. 



Nest. A hole in a tree or in the hollow spout of a limb is 

 usually chosen, but occasionally a situation among herbage is 

 resorted to. The nest is always well furnished with down. 



Eggs. Clutch nine to twelve usually; elliptical in shape; 

 texture fine; surface glossy; colour light creamy-white. Dimen- 

 sions in mm. of a portion of a clutch : (1) 46 x 34, (2) 45.5 x 34, 

 (3) 45 x 33, (4) 46 x 33.5, (5) 44 x 33. 



Breeding Season. September to the end of the year. 



Geographical Distribution. Tasmania, King and other of the 

 larger islands in Bass Strait, the mainland in general, New Zea- 

 land, and a number of the islands of the Austro-Malayan region. 



Observations. Shooting season begins 1st February and ends 

 30th June. Here we have the Teal so well known to all shooters, 

 whether on rivers, lakes, or lagoons. It is widely distributed 

 throughout the island, and, in company with the Black Duck, 

 frequently congregates in large flocks on many of our rivers. As 

 a consequence, it is one of the most familiar species of Duck to 

 be seen in poulterers' windows during the season. 



SHOVELLER 

 (Spatula rhynchotis, Lath.) 



Male. Crown of the head, base of the bill, and chin brownish- 

 black; a crescentic white band between the bill and the eyes; 



