270 CHAULELASMUS.— NETTIUM. 



Genus CHAULELASMUS. 



xau\6s= loose, gaping; a word found only in classical Greek, x<"'X'4Soiis=with outstanding 

 teeth ; and Aa(r/i<Ss= metal beaten out, a metal plate, from e\aiya=l drive, strike, beat out. 

 From the projecting laminae of the upper mandible. 



Bill narrows slightly towards tip. Small nail. Lamellae long and quite 



prominent. Speculum black and white. Tail of sixteen feathers. 



306. Chaulelasmus streperus. The Gadwall or Grbt Duck. 



Streperus = noisy. 



Mila, India; Beykhur, iV. W.P. ; Mall, Nepal; Burd, Sind ; Syah-dum, Cdbul, 

 $ 20" to 21^"; 1^ to 2 lbs. ? 18" to 20"; 1 to If lbs. Legs dull yellow. 

 Bill black. Head grey, speckled brown. Back brown, with white crescentie 

 lines. Wing-coverts chestnut. Speculum white and black. — Female: Brown, 

 edged buff. Bill pale, with red margins. Abdomen white. Northern Hemi- 

 sphere, and in winter to N. Africa, Palestine, India, Burma (not observed in 

 Ceylon), China, and Japan. In America as far south as Mexico and Jamaica. 

 Six to thirteen eggs (2-36 x 1-63), creamy. Masson saw flocks of from twenty to 

 thirty in Teesta and Great Eungeet valleys. (J. 961. B. 1595.) 



Also C coueH. 17". Like C. streperus, but smaller. Bill and feet black. Lamellae small 

 and closely packed, about seventy-five in number, while in 0. streperus there are only about 

 fifty. Fanning Island. 



Genus NETTIUM. Tbal. 

 Bill moderate, of uniform width, not gradually tapering towards tip. Lamellae 

 scarcely prominent. Tail of fourteen to sixteen feathers. Central tail more or 

 less acuminate, and extending somewhat beyond the lateral ones. Cosmopolitan. 



307. Nettium fonnosum. The Baikal or Clucking Teal. 

 (? 15 J" to 18"; 1 lb. Legs greenish blue. Bill bluish brown. Forehead, 

 crown, band from eye to throat, chin, and throat black. Green band from eye to 

 eye, round nape. Sides of head, and upper neck buff. Narrow borders to aU 

 black areas on head and neck white. Back, sides of breast, and flanks finely 

 vermiculated grey and white. Secondaries bronze-green near coverts, tips black. 

 Speculum green, ending velvet-black, bordered silver. — Female dusky, edged 

 rufous. Tail-coverts white, with brown spots. Spot near base of bill and another 

 below eye buff. E. Siberia, S. China, and Japan, straggling occasionally to 

 W. Asia and Europe. Kare in India. Eggs (1-85 x 1-35) pale grey-green. 

 (J. 966. B. 1596. H. & M. iii. 225.) 



308. Nettium crecca. The Common Teal. 



Crecca, probably from its note. Cf. Crez, q.v., and the German Kriech-Hnte; old English 

 Cracker = Pintail. 



Moorghabi, India; KerrSi, N. W.P. ; Naroib, Bengal; BaiJI-lagairi, Nepal; Kardo, 

 Sind; Killowal, Madras; Sorlal haki, Mysore; Churaka, Cabul; Alahbash, Kurak- 

 aurdak, Tarkand. 



$ Uy to 16"; 10 to 15 oz. ? 13J" to 15"; 7J to 12 oz. Legs greyish. 

 Bill black. Head and upper neck chestnut. Green eye-patch. Speculum green, 

 with black sides, with yellow bar above. Lower neck, upper back, and sides of 

 body narrowly barred black and white. Outer secondaries black, inner green. 

 Tail of sixteen feathers. Assumes the female plumage about end of July. — 



