GEEEN-HEADED TEAL. 
coloured tips. Apparently slightly darker than the nest-down of the Grey Teal. 
Dimensions : inside, 5 inches across by 2| inches deep ” (Campbell). 
Eggs. “ Clutch, nine to ten usually, thirteen maximum ; eUiptical in shape ; texture of 
shell fine ; surface glossy and greasy ; colour, rich cream. Dimensions in inches : 
1.9-2.14 X 1.45-1.52 ” (Campbell). 
Breeding-season. “ June to December ” (Campbell). 
The confusion between this and the succeeding bird has not yet been 
unravelled to my satisfaction. A full discussion will be given in 
connection with the following bird, and it should be here indicated that 
probably some of the references above given refer to the next species, 
but that there is no present means of decision. The range and life- 
history of the two are so confused that I cannot fix definitely to either 
any of the accounts. I have generally concluded that all recent records 
of Nettion (or Nettium) castaneum refer to the Green-headed Teal, but 
of this I cannot even be certain, as I will show later. Early records 
undoubtedly refer to either, and I have plaeed them in connection with 
this species simply because it is absolutely impossible accurately to 
assign them. 
Mr. J. W. Mellor has written me : “ This teal is not common in 
South Australia, and in all my wanderings and expeditions I have never 
shot a male bird with the metallic green head, which I believe is the 
chief characteristic : in the breeding-season they are here, as I have 
authentic information from good sources, but if they were common we 
should undoubtedly see them in the markets and poulterers’ shops just 
before or after the close season, but this is only occasionally the case.” 
Mr. Tom Carter’s notes read : “ This species seems to me to be the 
salt water Teal, as I have not seen them on fresh water. In a large 
lagoon of sea water surrounded by mangroves near the North-west Cape, 
there was always a flock or two of these birds. They evidently bred 
there, as young in down were noted in July, 1900. In June, 1901, ^at this 
locality, I shot three birds and skinned what seemed to be a ha)ndsome 
male, as the glossy green head and neck were most pronounced as well 
as the rich brown breast, but it was an undoubted female on dissection. 
(See Emu, Vol. II., p. 80, where by a printer’s error, ‘ most ’ is printed 
‘not’). One of the other birds that I imagined was a female because 
it had not the green head and heck proved to be an immature male 
on dissection. I have noted this species on the Salt River (Pallenup 
River) to the south-east of Broome Hill ; and on Lake Muir, which 
is also salt water, it occurs in thousands. I have visited Lake Muir in 
April and December, when nearly all the bhds seemed to have green 
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