24



Mr. W. E. Teschemaker.



Mr. Hudson gives the following note on the species :—“ In the

neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres the Ring-necked Teal is strictly

migratory, and in the month of October appears in small flocks

in the marshes along the river ; but in the interior of the country

it is seldom met with. They are extremely active birds, constantly

flying about from place to place both by day and night ; and in

the love-season, when they alight in a pool of water, the males

immediately engage in a spirited combat. While flying they utter

a peculiar jarring sound, and occasionally a quacking note, rapidly

repeated and sounding like a strange laugh; but on the water,

especially in the evening, the male emits a long inflected note,

plaintive and exquisitely pure in sound — a more melodious note

it would be difficult to find even among the songsters.”


Although the sexes of this duck are so very distinct, the

drake has no eclipse plumage, or at any rate our example has failed

to don one. As is well known the drakes of the Northern Hemi¬

sphere ducks, in all cases in which the sexes differ in plumage,

change their dress, to one superficially resembling that of the female,

for a short time after the breeding season. In most of the Southern

Hemisphere ducks however, this change does not take place, and

we find species such as the Rosy-bill, the Brazilian Teal, and the

Ringed Teal, possessing no vestige of change.



NESTING OF THE WHINCHAT.


Pratincola rubetra.


By W. E. Teschemaker, B.A.


The Whinchat is one of those interesting species which do

not readily yield their secrets to the student. One reason for this is

that we only know rather more than a quarter of their lives — that

quarter which they spend in their breeding area. Why do people

continue to write books about British Birds, as seen in Britain, but

never make the least attempt to give us a book devoted to British

Birds, as seen abroad ? We may paraphrase a well-known line and

ask what do they know of British Birds who only Britain know ?

How fascinating an account of our summer migrants studied in

their winter haunts would be !



