366 THE GAME BIEDS AND WILD FOWL 



In India great numbers of these birds are kept in confinement and fattened for 

 food, especially by the Anglo-Indians, whom a hard fate condemns to residence 

 on the sultry plains during the hot season. 



Nidlfication. — The breeding season of the Teal in the British Islands 

 commences early in May, but is a month or more later in higher latitudes. In 

 the Arctic regions this Duck makes its nest in similar localities to those selected by 

 the Wigeon ; but with us it is usually placed amongst the dense vegetation, bram- 

 bles, sedge, heather, or coarse grass growing by the waterside, but occasionally 

 some distance from it. It is made on the ground, of dry grass, leaves, broken 

 sedge and reeds, and warmly lined with down from the female. The eggs are 

 from eight to ten in number, in rare instances up to fifteen, and vary from 

 creamy-white to buffish-white, sometimes with a faint greenish cast. They 

 measure on an average 1'7 inch in length by 1'3 inch in breadth _ The down is 

 small and uniform dark brown without any white tips. Incubation, performed 

 by the female, lasts from twenty-one to twenty-two days. One brood only 

 is reared in the year, but if the first clutch of eggs be taken others will be 

 laid. The old Teals are much attached to each other, and we should say 

 undoubtedly pair for life. The male Teal assumes a brown moulting dress like 

 allied species. 



Diagnostic characters — Nettion, with the head partly metallic green, 

 with the top of the head chestnut like the cheeks, with no white crescent on the 

 sides of the breast and with the lower scapulars white, edged with black on the 

 outer web (male) ; with the alar speculum black, and the wing under seven inches 

 long (female). Length, 13 to 16 inches. 



