140 



cassell's book of birds. 



slopes gradually to the tip, and is furnished with very short, broad denticulations ; their wings are 

 abruptly rounded, and their tail composed of twelve feathers. 



THE WHITE-BODIED GOOSE TEAL. 

 The White-bodied Goose Teal {Nettapus Coromandelianus) is black on the crown of the head, 

 and of a magnificent green shaded with purple over the entire mantle ; the face, back of the head, 

 neck, and under side are pure white ; the throat is partially encircled by a black band ; the feathers 

 on the belly and the lower tail-covers are spotted with black and white, those of the upper covers are 

 greyish brown with light spots, the tail-feathers blackish brown ; the extremities of the primary quills are 



1 ' !fe 



^^ ^ ~~~~ 



THE NILE goose (Chenalopex sEgyptiacus). ONE-FOURTH natural size. 



spotted with white, the lower secondaries exhibit similar but smaller spots, whilst the upper secondaries 

 are marked with black ; the eye is red ; the beak black ; and the foot greenish brown ; during the 

 period of incubation the latter is spotted with black. This small Goose is not more than thirteen or 

 fourteen inches long, the wing measures six inches and a half, and the tail three and a quarter. In 

 the plumage of the female the brown is less conspicuous, and the mantle comparatively lustreless ; her 

 quills are also without any white spots ; the sides of the wings and tail-covers are pale brown ; the 

 feathers on the nape are marked with dark lines, those of the under side with dirty white, and the 

 thighs with pale grey. This most beautiful little Goose, according to Jerdon, " is met with in India, 

 as also in Ceylon, and on the Malay Peninsula. In some parts of India it is very numerous, but is 

 rare in the North-west Provinces. Its favourite resorts are ponds covered with reeds and rich in 

 grass, and upon these it may sometimes be seen in numerous flocks." Its flight is rapid, and when 



