RING-NECKED TEAL 
303 
Young Male in First Plumage; Somewhat like the adult female, but there is no pattern on the 
face, the barred flank feathers are absent and the breast and upper abdomen are spotted. The upper 
side is almost as in the adult female but more gray and less rich brown. Wing same as in adult 
female (specimens in Leyden Museum). 
Young Female in First Plumage: Said to resemble very closely the adult female and thus to 
differ considerably from the male at the same period. 
Young in Down : Pure white underneath and dull brownish gray above. There is a marked super- 
ciliary white streak and a narrow trans-ocular dark streak. There are the usual whitish patches on 
the wing-rudiments, scapular region and rump. Legs and feet grayish flesh-color. Bill pale lead-color. 
Remarks : The adult or breeding plumage is kept practically intact throughout the whole year and 
there is no return to a less ornamental stage during summer. This does not of course mean that 
the usual double moults may not take place. 
DISTRIBUTION 
This rather rare Teal is confined to the countries bordering on the river basins of the La Plata 
region of South America. The northernmost record is for southern Bolivia, where it Bolivia 
was found in March and April near Caiza in the Chaco (Lonnberg, 1903). Kerr (1901) 
says it is common in the Paraguayan Chaco in November and December, and Dr. A. 
Wetmore writes me that he saw a few in that region. There are specimens in the British Museum 
from Villa del Pillar, southern Paraguay. Salvador! (1900) has recorded a pair taken at Uruman, 
Matto Grosso, Brazil, and in extreme southeastern Brazil, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 
the species is perhaps not imcommon. It was found by Aplin (1894) in Uruguay, 
and has been recorded from Cerro Largo, Uruguay, by Tremoleras (1920). Uruguay 
In the Argentine this Teal is found only in the northeastern part, where it is said to be common 
(Dabbene, in litt.). The U.S. National Museum has specimens from Corrientes, the British Museum 
from Entrerios, and Lillo (1902) has recorded it from Tucuman. According to Schultz 
{fide Dabbene, 1910) it is a resident bird in Cordoba. The range does not extend south 
of Buenos Aires Province. P. L. Sclater and Salvin (1869) have recorded it from Conchitas, and 
Hartert and Venturi (1909) from Barracas al Sur. P. L. Sclater and Hudson (1889) state that it is a 
strictly migratory bird in Buenos Aires, arriving in October, and that it is rare in the interior. E. 
Gibson’s (1920) more recent remarks are to the same effect. He says that the species is a rare visitor 
at Cape San Antonio, where it usually appears in September. 
GENERAL HABITS 
Although usually placed next to the Brazilian Teal by systematists, there is no 
reason to suppose that the two species are at all closely related. Indeed, both of 
them are only distantly related to the “Mallard-like” ducks, and that is about all 
that can be said of them. We know less about the distribution, status and life- 
history of this species than of any South American duck, excepting perhaps the 
Brazilian Merganser. It inhabits tropical, mostly forested country, but it must be 
scarce even in the center of its range, for Mr, J. L. Peters, who in July, 1920, visited 
the Falls of the Iguazu, failed to get any trace of it along the main valley of the 
Parana. Perhaps it is an inhabitant of isolated forest pools or brooks, as E. Gib- 
