GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 383 



tive of the Common Teal, a " British " species, and dealt with 

 fully in the following chapter. A. glodtans, an inhabitant of 

 Eastern Siberia, wintering in Japan, China, and East India. 

 Distinguished from the Common Teal by the absence of chest- 

 nut on the head. 



Time during which the Common Teal may be taken.— 



August 1st to March ist. 



Habits. — Although a great many Teal are practically resident 

 in the British Islands, this Duck is by far the most common 

 and widely dispersed in winter, when its numbers are increased 

 by migratory individuals from more northern and colder 

 latitudes. With us this Duck begins to arrive in September, and 

 continues to do so through the following month. In India, 

 where it is one of the commonest Ducks during the cold season, 

 they begin to appear in September in the north, but the heaviest 

 flights arrive during 'October, whilst further south they are not 

 observed until the north-east monsoon in November. They 

 leave most parts of India about the end of April, although a few 

 are seen even in May. In the valley of the Petchora, Teal 

 arrived on the i8th of June with the general smash-up of the 

 ice on the river and the melting of the snow ; in the Yenesay 

 district its arrival was also coincident with the thaw. The Teal 

 is much more partial to reed-fringed pools and small lakes than 

 to the mud-banks and estuaries of the coast. In India, Hume 

 remarks that they may be met with anywhere, on fresh water, 

 of course, either on the village pond, in the marshy corner of a 

 broad, on large lakes, or on sluggish rivers and dancing upland 

 streams. The Teal is by no means a shy bird, yet it is very fond 

 of skulking amongst the tall aquatic vegetation, remaining close 

 until flushed by dogs or men. It is a gregarious bird, especially 

 just previous to and on migration. In India bunches of from 

 ten to thirty are most frequent, but much larger gatherings are 

 on record, especially during Flight. As a rule the smaller the 

 pond or lake, the fewer in number the birds will be. The flight 

 of the Teal is rapid, and the bird has considerable command 

 over itself in the air, often escaping the swoop of a Falcon with 

 a sudden dip or twist. This Duck has also a way of dropping 

 suddenly into cover again soon after being flushed. It swims 



