ANAS CIECIA. 
1081 
upper tail-coverts, and whitish with broad outer margins of the same on the tertials ; tail dark brown, with 
whitish margins ; wing-coverts faded bluish gi’ey, the greater series with brownish slaty, with the tips for half an 
inch white ; speculum much duller than in the male, with a black bar between the green and the white tips ; 
primary-coverts and inner primaries bluish grey at the outer margins ; tertials tinged with green ; cheeks, ear- 
coverts, and sides and front of neck whitish with distinct dark centres, having a mottled appearance ; a light 
stripe over the eyes, and a dark light-tipped band through the lores and behind the eye ; chin and upper throat 
unmarked white ; lower fore neck tinged with ochre-yellowish ; the centres of the feathers dark, enclosing a light 
spot ; beneath whitish, the centres of the feathers brownish ; under tail-coverts patched with brown ; flanks 
brown, pale-edged ; axillaries and under wing as in the male. 
“ Bill black, under mandible brown ; legs and feet greyish slate.” {Scully.) 
Young in down (Jutland). Glossy black above ; face above the eye and the throat yellowish, with a broad stripe 
behind the eye, and another from the lores along the face to the ear-coverts ; a faint crescentic pale streak across 
the back and a spot on each side of the rump ; beneath whitish brown across the throat and brownish on the 
abdomen. 
The first plumage, according to Naumann, resembles that of the female ; the bill is darker, and the breast more rufes- 
cent, and the throat purer white, the male being distinguished from the female by the lighter blue-grey of the 
wing-coverts. The birds are then about the size of the Common Teal. Bill and feet paler than in the adult. The 
adult plumage is assumed in October and November. 
Ohs. Varieties of this species occur sometimes. Jerdon speaks of procuring birds with the whole head, neck, and 
underparts ferruginous ; and in Europe, as also in England, pale yellowish and cream-coloured birds have been shot. 
Distribution. — This fine Teal is a winter visitor to Ceylon, being found in the extreme north about the 
Jaffna peninsula, on the swamps of the island of Delft, and on the west coast down to Manaar during the 
cool season from November till March. Layard speaks of its occurring in “vast flocks” at the head 
of the Jaffna estuary ; but I do not think it is so common now-a-days ; and as early as the month of March it 
seems to take its departure, as I saw nothing of it in the Jaffna district at that time. Mr. II. E. Hayes, 
of the Ceylon P. W. Department, shot a pair at Mullaittivu in 1877 ; and some seasons it extends down 
the east coast to the Hambantota district, where Capt. Wade-Dalton recently met with it in one or two 
localities. 
The Garganey is very abundant all over India, being found in greater numbers in Bengal than the 
Common Teal. It is also very common in the peninsular portion of the empire, and notably so in the Deccan. 
In Chota Nagpur Mr. Ball considers it to be less common than the Teal ; but he records it from Manbhum, 
Lohardugga, Sambalpur, Orissa, Nowagarh, and Karial. It is, according to Mr. Hume, ten times more 
abundant in the Calcutta market than the last-named bird ; and in Furreedporc it swarms in all the small 
jheels, remaining on the Ganges in the daytime and spreading over the country at night ( Gripps ) . It is common 
in Rajpootana, Guzerat, Cutch, Kattiawar, and Sindh in the cold weather, but not so plentiful as the Teal 
in some places. In the Guzerat district it arrives, says Capt. Butler, about the 7th September, and remains 
until about the 14th of April; but a single bird was shot near Deesa on the 7th of July, and I have myself a 
specimen killed by Mr. Adam at Sambhur on the 26th of August. It is common in the Punjab, in Oudh, 
and Kumaon ; and in Nepal, writes Dr. Scully, it is met with throughout the whole winter. It is found in 
Burmah and also in Tenasserim in tracts between the Salween and the Sittang, as also to the west of the latter 
river. It ranges southwards into the Malay archipelago, being found in Java and Borneo, as also in Celebes, 
where Dr. Meyer says it is rather rare, notwithstanding that it occurs there in summer, as he notes a specimen 
as procured in Limbotto in July. Turning north we find it recorded from Formosa by Swinhoe, who says 
that it probably breeds in South China. It has not been observed in North China, although it occurs in Japan. 
As regards Central Asia, it is common in South-east Mongolia, breeding in the marshes of the Hoang-ho valley. 
At Lake Hanka it appears as late as the beginning of May, and is ten times as scarce as the Common Teal 
(Prjevalsky) . It is found in summer near Yarkand, and breeds in the eastern parts of Turkestan, according 
to Severtzoff. It ranges into Southern Siberia, and has been found on the Amoor river. Passing westward, 
I do not find it recorded from Palestine; but Mr. Danford informs me that he met with it in Asia Minor 
during the latter half of the winter. 
