﻿106 ANATIDiE. 



consequently, start so early in the spring for the principal 

 rendezvous, namely, the uncultivated countries northward. 

 The adult birds arrive at their breeding-stations already 

 in pairs, but the young ones have to make their choice 

 and fight the usual battles on their arrival for their mates. 

 Their migratory journeys are therefore either performed 

 in pairs or in small parties, and invariably during the 

 night. 



About the latter end of April or beginning of May, 

 the female begins to lay, and the brood generally consists 

 of from nine to twelve, and sometimes extends to fourteen. 



The eggs are in form and colour as represented in our 

 plate. After three weeks"' incubation, the young brood 

 come forth, and follow the mother, as soon as they are 

 dry, to the water, and are carefully led by her to the 

 cover of the nearest weeds and rushes. 



The Gargany Teal measures sixteen inches and a half 

 in length, and weighs about fifteen ounces. 



In the adult male the upper part of the head is dusky- 

 brown, with darker streaks ; over the eye is a white band, 

 which passes down the sides of the neck ; the cheeks 

 and upper part of the neck are purplish brown, marked 

 with fine white lines ; the breast is marked with semicir- 

 cular lines of brown and black ; the chin is black ; the 

 belly dirty white, toward the vent are some dusky streaks ; 

 the sides are marked with numerous small undulating black 

 lines ; the wing-coverts are cinereous-grey, the larger wing- 

 coverts are tipped with white ; the scapulars are long and 

 narrow, the upper ones striped with black, white, and ash 

 colour, the rest cinereous-grey ; the speculum is green, with 

 a white edge below ; the tail is dusky ; the beak and legs 

 are bluish-ash colour. 



The female is brown on the upper parts, streaked 



