GARGANEY TEAL 
371 
which is south of the regular winter range of the Common Teal, the Garganey is the 
more abundant species (Hartert, 1886). In East Africa, on the White Nile, Jager- 
skidld (1904) during early April found it not common, much less plentiful than the 
Common Teal. Perhaps it becomes more common there as the season advances. 
The enormous numbers of Garganey found in India in Hume and Marshall’s 
(1879) time have already been mentioned, but Baker (1908) fears that such tremen- 
dous flocks as Hume saw are now a thing of the past, although flocks of thousands 
are still seen. 
Enemies. The enemies are the same as those already mentioned in connection 
with the Common Teal and the Mallard. 
Damage. Only in India does this species occur in large enough numbers to do 
much damage. Hume and Marshall (1879) say that in parts of India they came to 
the paddy-fields at night in such large flocks as to destroy acres of crop at one 
visit. Whether they are really a factor of importance to-day I do not know. 
Food Value. The flesh of the Garganey is everywhere graded lower than that 
of the Common Teal. It is more apt to have a rank and bitter taste, especially in the 
spring. Naumann considered it a very good bird for the table in the autumn, but 
Millais (1902), speaking of birds from the Rhone delta and the brackish lakes of 
Algeria, classed them as very inferior. Hume and Marshall (1879) did not think 
them comparable to the Common Teal, and say that even the inland feeders are not 
always free from a “certain marshy twang.” 
Hunt. Garganey are taken in the spring with the Pintail by the French hut- 
shooters. Huts are also used in Bulgaria (Reiser, 1894). In India they are taken in 
the great boat-drives described by Baker (1908). MTien shooting over the great 
Jessore bheels with a thin line of boats. Baker found the Garganey acting very 
differently from the Teal. They “rose far ahead, swept around but once in a wide 
semi-circle, and then went straight ahead, whereas the Common Teal often dodged 
in and out along the whole line, circled about two, three, or more times, and then 
disappeared, but often only to settle half a mile or so further on.” Hume (Hume 
and Marshall, 1879), who imported a Norfolk punt and swivel-gun into India, tells 
of having made an enormous shot, knocking over sixty birds from a huge flock of 
some 20,000. Great nmnbers have been shipped from China to European markets 
(Ghidini, 1911). 
Behavior in Captivity. This species has been favored by amateurs since an 
early date. It appears on the list of water-fowl kept by the great Conde at ChantiUy 
