THE GARGANEY. 289 



coverts are moulted from late autumn (Oct. and Nov.) to spring. 

 Sometimes some juvenile body -feathers are retained until assump- 

 tion of eclipse plumage. 



First winter. Female. — As adult female eclipse but distin- 

 guished by narrower white edges to juvenile greater coverts and 

 browner wing-coverts without or with little lavender-grey suffusion 

 and usually with no green gloss on speculum. Moult as male. 

 First summer. — As adult summer, but tail and innermost secondaries 

 appear to be more rarely renewed. Distinguished from adult by 

 wing as in first winter. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 187-198 mm., tail 62-70, 

 tarsus 26-30, bill from feathers 36.5-40 (12 measured). $ wing 175- 

 194, bill 34-39. Primaries : 1st narrow, pointed and little more 

 than half longest primary- covert, 2nd and 3rd about equal and 

 longest, 4th 4-8 mm shorter, 5th 12-17 shorter, 6th 22-29 shorter. 

 Innermost secondaries long and pointed and shorter than 5th or 6th 

 primaries, in eclipse with square or rounded tips. Scapulars long and 

 tapering, in eclipse short, with square or slightly rounded tips. Bill 

 as in A. discors but tomium hardly sinuated, other structure as in 

 A. c. crecca but nape without mane-like tuft. 



m Soft parts. — Bill (ad. $) dull black, (ad. $) greenish-grey, greyish- 

 brown on top of culmen ; legs and feet dull leaden-grey ; iris dull 

 umber-brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Small size, green speculum without 

 any black and pale lavender-grey median and lesser coverts 

 distinguish males from allied species, while absence of black in 

 speculum and ash-brown wing-coverts distinguish female in all 

 plumages. 



Field -characters. — Outstanding features of drake's plumage are 

 broad white eye -stripe extending to back of neck and pale blue 

 shoulder. The elongated scapulars and crescentic marks on pale 

 brown breast only discernible at close quarters. Duck resembles 

 Teal, but is lighter in colour, more slender in build ; and, on wing, 

 longer neck is noticeable. Even more rapid in flight than Teal, but 

 lacks its sudden turns and downward plunges. Seldom seen on 

 salt water, its usual haunts are marshes, shallow pools and fresh- 

 water lagoons. Note, a loud, harsh " knack " or " knake " ; male's 

 call in spring a peculiar rattle -like note which has been likened to 

 chirping of a cricket. 



Breeding-habits. — Nests in meadows in neighbourhood of marsh 

 or open water. Nest. — Depression in ground, lined grasses and 

 characteristic white-tipped down (feathers from nest, see Brit B. } 

 Vol. II, PI. 1.). Eggs. — 7 to 11, rarely 12 or 13, warm creamy-buff. 

 Average size of 85 eggs, 45.4x33.04. Max.: 49.2x32.9 and 

 43.8x35.5. Min. : 39.3x29.7 mm. Breeding-season. — Last week 

 April or early May. Incubation. — By female alone : period 22-24 

 days. Single brooded. 



VOL. II. U 



