THE WHISTLING TEAL.
Superintendent, assures me that he has repeatedly seen their
nests, and that these are here invariably on the ground and
close to the water's edge. Of' course on this island there is absolute
protection from man and beast."
I have dwelt already, I fear some will think, at too great
length on the nesting habits of this species ; but I must still
add a most curious fact recorded by Mr. H. Kemp. Writing
from the Futtehpur District on the 13th Jul)-, he says: "Last
evening I saw a pair of Whistling Teal settle high up on a large
peepul tree. One went into a hollow and the other sat outside
near its mouth. This other one I shot ; it proved to be the
male. After a moment's pause the female flew out and made away
to a sheet of water about 300 yards distant. While I was walking
towards her, a man, close over whom the bird flew, in telling
me where it had settled, added that it had an egg in its claw.
I disbelieved this and took no notice of it, but when I shot the
bird, my servant in bringing it out of the water found an egg
on a narrow ridge where the bird was standing when shot.
There was no nest, nor had the ground any signs of having
been sat upon.
" I then sent a man up the peepul tree and he found one more
egg of the same kind in the hollow out of which the bird flew.
There was no prepared nest in the hollow, but only decayed
and crumbled chips."
Strange as this may seem, it is confirmed by the fact that
the Duck similarly transports the young, to the water, in her
claws. I have heard of their being seen flying down to the
water with ducklings on their backs, but I have twice seen
them carrying these in their claws. On one of these occasions,
between 8 and 9 A.M., I saw a Duck carry down her whole
brood of seven, one at a time, from a hole in a huge mango to the
water, she passing each time within three yards of my face as I
sat at the water's edge. The first time the Drake came down
with her, and then he remained with the ducklings, whilst she
went backwards and forwards fetching the rest. Natives say that
when the weather is stormy the old birds carry the young back
to the nest, and that may be so, but on this particular occasion,
I returned at sunset and saw both old birds and the brood
swimming about; and, though I waited till it was quite dark,
saw nothing of their returning to the tree. Next morning I
was there before daylight, but as soon as it was light, I made
out the part}'. I had the place watched, and am satisfied that
that brood never returned to the nest. But then the weather,
though there was plenty of rain, was not stormy or windy, and
I must leave it to future observers to determine whether they
ever carry their young on their backs, or in their bills, and
whether, once they have launched their young, they ever carry
them again back to the nest's dry dock.
The eggs of this species are usually very broad ovals, often
THE WHISTLING TEAL. 1 1 7
slightly compressed towards one end. In texture they differ
much from those of the Black-backed Goose and Goose Teal
already described. They lack the exquisite smoothness and
satiny feel of these latter, and instead of the delicate ivory
white, they arc, when fresh, nearly pure white,* becoming no
doubt yellowish or brownish, and sullied, as incubation proceeds.
Here and there one may exhibit a slight gloss, but as a rule,
this is almost entirely wanting.
In length the eggs vary from 172 to 2'0, and in breadth
from 1 '4 to i(5 ; but the average of forty-four is l'86 nearly
by 149.
THE BIRDS vary a good deal according to age, but not
apparently according to sex, though the head of the male is
rather larger and the plumage on it fuller. Speaking merely
from memory, I should have said that the males were larger, but
a comparison of a large series of measurements of both sexes in
the flesh shows that this is not the case.
Length, i6'o to 17-45 i expanse, 27-25 to 30-3 ; wing, 7-0 to
8-04 ; tail from vent, 2-3 to 3-02 ; tarsus, I '6 to 1-92 ; bill from
gape, 17 to 2'o6; weight, 1 lb. to I lb. 4 ozs.
The irides are deep brown ; the eyelids bright yellow to pale
golden ; the legs and feet generally dark, at times somewhat pale,
plumbeous blue, often dusky in patches and on the webs, and
claws blackish ; bill plumbeous to pale dull blue at the base,
shading to black at the tip, the bill in some having a greater
extent of plumbeous, in others of black ; the membrane between
the rami of the lower mandible is generally pinkish.
THE TLATE only tolerably represents the species, and is
everywhere too brightly coloured and too orange. In reality
the wing-coverts are a deep maroon ; the edgings to the feathers
of the back dingy fulvous chestnut; and the lower breast
and abdomen a rather light but dull chestnut. The legs of the
standing bird are unfortunately wrongly drawn. Both legs are
on the off side, and the tibial portion of the leg, which when the
bird is thus standing, shows out very conspicuously, on the near
side, is ignored. There should be more plumbeous at the base
of the bill.
The young, when just able to fly, do not differ very much
from the adult, but are everywhere duller coloured. The
margins to the feathers of the interscapulary region are
inconspicuous and dingy fulvous, and the entire lower surface
a rather pale, dull fulvous brown.
» Theilming membrane of the egg which is of a delicate salmon pink, rives at
Umes a faint rosy tinge to ferfialy fresh unblown eggs. 1 ' S