216 THE GARGANEY OR BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 
the country is never abundant, and in others only for a short 
portion of the cold season. 
Outside our Empire its distribution in Asia is rather remark- 
able. It occurs in Independent Burmah and Northern Siam,* 
but we have never met with any trace of it in Southern Tenas- 
serim or any part of the Malay Peninsula, neither do I find any 
record of its occurrence in Sumatra or Borneo. But Professor 
Schlegel says that he has specimens from Java, Celebes, and 
the Philippines. This must, however, be accepted with hesita- 
tion ; some mistake may have occurred in regard to the origin or 
identification of these specimens, since the Marquis of Tweed- 
dale excludes this species from both his Celebes and Philippine 
lists. In Formosaand Southern China it does occur, and some 
may possibly breed there, but elsewhere in China it seems rare 
or non-existent, and I do not find it recorded from Japan. 
In Yarkand it is common in summer, and breeds there as 
it does also in South-East Mongolia, and the lakes and marshes 
of the Hoang-ho; but it does not extend to the Koko-Nor, and 
in the Ussuri country is, Prjevalsky says, not one-tenth as 
numerous as the Common Teal. Again it iscommon in summer, 
breeding in numberless localities throughout Southern Siberia, 
and in Western Turkestan.f In winter it is not uncommon in 
Afghanistan and Beluchistan, and has been procured, during 
this season, on both the Persian and Arabian coasts of the 
Gulfs of Oman and Persia. Again it occurs on the Caspian ; and 
probably—though this is not on record, and I have no specimens 
thence—in suitable localities throughout the interior of Persia. 
It has been found in Mesopotamia, in the Caucasus, Armenia, 
Asia Minor (both near the Black Sea and Mediterranean 
Coasts) in Palestine and Arabia Petrza, and probably extends 
far south alone the Arabian coasts of the Ked Sea ais 
recorded from all parts of North-East Africa, as far south as 
the 10th Degree North Latitude, Abyssinia, Nubia, Egypt, and so 
westwards to Algiers. It may extend to Morocco and Western 
Districts. They arrive about the early part of December, and leave by March or 
April, a few stragglers remaining up till May or June. They are common in most 
large tanks, and keep in flocks. 
‘‘ Weedy tanks are preferred by these Teal. ‘They live chiefly on the tender 
weeds and grasses. I have never seen them on paddy fields. 
‘‘They are not very hard to shoot, and are easily approached behind a small 
screen of green boughs. Sometimes a paper kite, made in the shape of a Hawk, and 
flown over the tanks, keeps the Teal together, and they will not leave the tank 
though fired at often.” 
From Pegu Mr. Eugene Oates writes :—- 
‘“‘ This Teal is, I think, everywhere rare, much more so than the Common Teal 
of Europe.” 
* Note that Schlegel, V. Heuglin and others calmly quote Tickell (or as they 
spell it Tickel) as an authority for the breeding of this speciesin Siam. Of course 
Tickell really wrote about the neighbourhood of Moulmein, but in Euxope this place 
is apparently supposed to be in Siam ! fe, 
+ Stoliczka obtained a specimen, a male, on the 8th of May at Lake Sirikol, near 
the Pamir (elevation about 13,000) in full breeding plumage, 
