436 GARGANEY. 
the western portion of the Spanish Peninsula. It is, however, during 
the cold season that it is most abundant in the south ; its winter 
migrations reaching to North Africa, Egypt, Somaliland, and portions 
of Arabia. In Siberia Mr. Popham obtained it as far north as 
Yeneseisk, and eastward it reaches Kamchatka and the Commander 
Islands ; while it is common down to the Himalayas in summer; 
and very abundant during winter in India (where it is known as 
the Blue-winged Teal); and it also occurs sparsely in Japan, the 
Philippines, China and the Malay Archipelago. 
The nest is sometimes placed among rough herbage, or in sedge 
intermixed with coarse grass; but also in heather, and in high, 
fairly-drained—as well as open—situations. Laying begins in the latter 
half of April or early in May, and the eggs, usually 8, though some- 
times as many as 13 in number, are more creamy than those of the 
Common Teal, with no tinge of green: measurements 1°85 by 
1°35 in. The food chiefly consists of small fish, aquatic insects 
and molluscs, with little vegetable matter, and the bird is not, as 
a rule, good for the table. Its usual note isa harsh Azack, but in 
spring the drake makes a peculiar jarring noise, like a child’s rattle, 
whence the name of “Crick” or “Cricket-Teal” in East Anglia. 
This bird is rapid in its flight, and when swimming sits very high 
in the water. 
The adult male in March has the forehead, crown and nape dark 
brown, with a white stripe on each side from the eye and ear-coverts 
to the back of the neck; cheeks and neck nutmeg-brown, varied 
with short hair-like lines of white; back dark brown; elongated 
scapulars black with a central stripe of white ; zwéng-coverts bluish-grey ; 
patch on the secondaries green between two white bars; primaries 
and tail dull brown; chin black; breast pale brown, with dark 
crescentic bands ; belly white ; flanks varied with transverse black 
lines bounded by two broad bands ; under tail-coverts mottled black 
and white ; bill black ; legs, toes and webs greenish lead-colour. 
Mr. J. H. Gurney states that the male Garganey remains for an 
unusually long period in the plumage of the female. Length 16 in. ; 
wing 7°8in. The female is smaller, and has the head brown with 
darker spots and lines; over the eye a light yellowish-white band ; 
mantle dark brown with rufous edges; wing-coverts greyish-brown ; 
speculum dull metallic-green between two bars of white ; chin white ; 
breast varied with two shades of brown on a surface of greyish- 
white ; sides and flanks pale brown, varied with darker brown. 
Young males in their first plumage, as usual, resemble females. 
