Green-mnged Teals of America and Britain, 7 



Art. II. On the Green-tvinged Teals of America and Britain, 

 By James Drummond Marshall, M.D. 



During the mania for forming new genera and species which 

 seems at present to exist, when names and distinctions hitherto 

 employed are no longer permitted to occupy the place they 

 formerly held in our nomenclatures, it is strange that even 

 one species should have been allowed to remain in obscurity 

 under a different name ; more particularly a species pre- 

 senting so many distinguishing traits as the green-winged teal 

 of America, the subject of the present remarks. 



The similarity between this bird and the common teal of 

 Britain has appeared so great, as to lead Wilson, and other 

 writers on the subject, to consider them as one and the same 

 species. Wilson says, " On an examination of the figure 

 and description of the European teal by the ingenious and 

 accurate Bewick, and comparing them with the present (the 

 green-winged teal), no difference whatever appears in the 

 length, extent, colour, or markings of either, but what com- 

 monly occurs among individuals of any other tribe ; both, 

 undoubtedly, belong to one and the same species." 



Now, it is remarkable that Wilson, who has been in general 

 so accurate an observer of nature, and whose descriptions are 

 so correctly and beautifully given, should in this case have 

 overlooked the disparity between these two birds ; a disparity 

 sufficiently great, in my opinion, to constitute them distinct 

 species. On looking at the birds separately, and not having 

 previously compared them, one would be inclined to pronounce 

 them of the same species ; but when a specimen of each is 

 laid before you, the markings will be perceived to be in many 

 points totally different. Latham, Forster, Pennant, Bonaparte, 

 and the authors of the Northern Zoology, have mentioned some 

 of the distinguishing marks, but have merely considered the 

 American as a variety of the European, and not a species 

 distinct from it. Sir William Jardine, in his beautiful edition 

 of the American Ornithology, is of opinion that the species are 

 distinct, and has accordingly given the American teal the 

 distinguishing name of J56schas carolinensis. It shall be my 

 aim, in the present remarks, to show that the American and 

 European teals are in many points totally different ; and that 

 Sir William Jardine has, with great propriety, made them, 

 for the first time, distinct species. 



In length, extent, weight, and general appearance, they 

 nearly correspond. The crest in the American species is 

 perhaps larger than in the European, and the black extends 

 farther down the throat. The bill is smaller and more 



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