188- ANA TimE.
rich chestnut brown; at the gape and upwards, along the
base of the upper mandible, and from thfence high up over
the eye, and then backwards towards the occiput, there is a
narrow line of buff; from the lower edge of; the,eye to a
point below and behind, the ear-coverts, another narrow-Jine
of the same light colour; all the space, from the eye between
these two lines, and extending backward to th é occiput, forms
a broad patch of rich glossy green.; cheeks and sides of the
neck, below the under light coloured line rich chestnut;:
back of the neck, scapulars, and upper part of the bank a
mixture of black and white in narrow transverse lines; the
longest of the scapulars and thé tertials dark brown; all the
smaller wing-coverts ash-brown; thelarge coverts tipped with
white, forming a bar, two or three of thé higher coverts
having their white tinged with bay; primaries dark brown;
the secondaries forming a Speculum of vélvcUblack, green
and purple, tipped with white ; lower part of the back dark
brown; upper tad-coverts almost "Mack, edged with ■ rufous ;
tail-feathers pointed, dark brown ; the chin black ; front' ©f
the upper part of the. neck chestnut; lower part of the neck
in front partly covered/with circular spots of black, on*a
ground of white, tinged with pale purple v-brëast' and belly
white; sides and flanks barred with narrow black and white
lines i central under tail-coverts velvetHblack ; lateral- tail-
coverts delicate buff colour, with a narrow band of velvet
black at the base ; under surface of taihfeathers ash grey;
legs, toes, and membranes brownish-grey.
The whole length fourteen' inches and a half. From the
carpal joint to the end of th§_wing seven inehés and a
quarter ; the first and second quill-feathers nearly equal; and
the flight of the species very rapid.
Of male Teal observed: constantly, last summer, some had
lost the sexual distinctionsmf fhe plumage by th e .^ th of July,
and all were changed by the 4th o f August; remaining, like"
the females, till they acquired new feathers at the autumn
moult. „ The female has the wjiole of the head speckled with
dark brown, on a groUnd||®l6,er of light brown ; upper part
of back and the scapulars dark,-brown, each feather with two
narrow transverse bars, of buffy-browri ; wing like the male,
but the speculum has more velvet black, less green,-and no
purple, colour ; chin pale brown flower part of' neck on the
front and^df's^yaried with two shades of brown, in crescentic
marks’^ breast^ white;, sides, flanks, belly, and under tail-
coy^ll||dull whiter spotted with dark bfown.
ManytpefSons have dou b tle sC ^ ^ ^ e^ p ^ e yellow tinge on
the whitg&feathers of the'.breast in; the Teal, Wigeon, Pintail',
Wild Duck, and,;®ther,wild-water fowl, exposed for sale
a t the pmdtergrsl shops. When buying birdsffor -the table I
have* usually,Selected examples so marked, believing them to
be young'-birds’ of the year* land have not-been disappointed
in their; qualifies as food. -
; t-Tbe^ traehe%fof the male^ Teal-^?ist about five inches in
length,; jtbeitpbe rather .narrower near the middle than at any
other p a rt; th e bony enlargement of?the size and form represented
in the figure^ below.