1084 
ANAS CEECOA. 
tinged with rufous than in the adult ; tertials barred with rufous-buff on the outer webs. Bill blackish grey, 
fleshy beneath at the base and at the gape. 
Obs. I detect no difference in Asiatic and European examples of this species. An interesting Asiatic ally of this 
Common Teal is the beautiful Lake-Baikal Teal, A. formosa, Gfeorgi. It is a larger bird, measuring in the wing, 
S 8'5 inches, $ 8T. The coloration of the head in the male is striking : the crown and throat are black, 
and the face buff, with a black white-edged band from the eye to the throat ; the back is blue-grey, finely marked. 
It is the Clucking Teal of Jerdon’s work, and has been obtained near Calcutta and in Sindh. 
Distribution . — The Teal is said to he tolerably plentiful in some years in the Jaffna peninsula, where it 
chiefly frequents the head of the lagoon near Ethelemaduvil. In the island of Delft and at the Palverainkadoo 
lagoon, on the north-west coast, it appears yearly, writes Mr. G. Simpson, in thousands in November, leaving 
at the end of February. Layard speaks of vast flocks visiting the Jaffna estuary in the months in question, 
and being shot and sold by the natives in his time for as low a price as %d. each. I have made inquiries 
of several gentlemen who have been from time to time resident in the peninsula, among whom I may mention 
Mr. W. Murray, of the Ceylon Civil Service, a keen sportsman, and one who has often shot Teal, and I cannot 
learn that the species is so abundant now-a-days in that locality as it was prior to the date of Layard."’ s catalogue. 
It extends into the interior, visiting the tanks at Anaradhapura, Madewatchiya, Kanthelai, and other places, 
among which I have seen it at the small tank at Pankulam. It is found as far south as the Uswewa district, 
and on the east coast affects the Topoor tank, extending in small numbers down to the Yala district. 
This duck is abundant in parts of India from October until April, but does not occur in such great numbers 
as the last species, particularly in the Calcutta district. Eastward it is common in Upper Burmah (Oates), 
but is rare in Tenasserim, only having been observed in the plains between the Sittang and the Salween. In 
the peninsula of India it is common in the Deccan, but does not occur in very great abundance in Chota 
Nagpur (Ball ) ; and in Furreedpore it has not been noticed by Mr. Cripps. In the Nepal valley it is very 
common; but in North-western India it is perhaps more abundant than elsewhere, being recorded as common 
at the Sambhur Lake, in Sindh, Cutch, Guzerat, and Kattiawar. It occurs in the Punjab, and in Cashmere 
and Kashgharia it is very abundant from November until February, but does not stay to breed. It is found on 
passage in Turkestan, breeding, according to Severtzoff, up to an elevation of 6000 feet ; and in the south- 
western portion of the country it remains throughout the winter. In Mongolia it is extremely abundant, 
writes Prjevalsky, on migration ; large flocks were seen at Dalai-nor, and at Koko-nor it was abundant in 
March, in which month also it appears at Lake Hanka, a few remaining to breed. It is very common in 
Amoor Land, and abundant at the source of the river and in South-west Siberia. On the Yenesay it appears 
as soon as the ice breaks up ; and Mr. Seebohm found it breeding as high as 70^° N. lat. On the Ob, Dr. Finsch 
met with it as far north as Obdorsk. Eastward it extends to Kamtchatka. In Japan it is plentiful, remaining 
in winter in Yesso, the most northerly island. Throughout China and Formosa it is abundant in winter, 
according to Swinhoe. It does not extend to the Philippines or any further to the south than Formosa. 
Returning to Western Asia, we find it occurring in Persia; in Palestine Canon Tristram found it common 
in wiuter, and in the peninsula of Sinai Mr. C. Wyatt met with it. In Asia Minor it is not uncommon, writes 
Mr. Danford, in the mountain-rivers. It is common in Turkey, and a resident on the Black Sea (Nordmann). 
It breeds in Greece, and is abundant in the Ionian Isles in winter (Lilford) . Throughout the southern and 
central portions of Europe it is more or less plentiful, but does not remain in the summer in all parts, as, 
for example, in some parts of Italy, where Salvadori is uncertain as to its breeding. It is abundant in Northern 
Europe in the summer, breeding as far north as Lapland and the White Sea. It is distributed all over Great 
Britain, breeding even in the southern counties, and occurring in the Orkneys and Shetland. In Iceland it 
is abundant, arriving there, according to Faber, in April and staying until October. It has been occasionally 
found in Greenland, and occurs on the eastern coasts of America as a straggler. It has been noticed in the 
Azores and in Madeira, and in North Africa it is not uncommon from west to east. In Egypt it is in fact 
very abundant according to Capt. Shelley and Von Ileuglin, and is resident there, occurring as far south as the 
Blue and White Nile and the Somauli coast. 
Habits . — The Teal, which, owing to the handsome plumage of the male, may be considered one of the 
