of the Family of Anatidce. 21 



guished by the brightness and beauty of plumage observed in 

 nearly all the species. 



On comparing the bill of the common Teal with that of the 

 Pintail, we see a close affinity between the two forms. But as 

 the tail of the first is so much developed, in comparison to 

 that of the Teal, it becomes essential to discover, if these sub- 

 genera actually followed each other in nature, what species 

 united them more closely. By the uniform liberality of the 

 zoologists attached to the British Museum, and more par- 

 ticularly J. E. Gray, Esq., 1 am now enabled to do this. 

 The beautiful Anas (Soschas) formosa, Sw., or Baikal Teal 

 of methodists, is precisely a bird which intervenes between 

 these two sub-genera. Essentially a Teal, it differs from all 

 others I have yet seen in the superior length of its tail, the 

 feathers of which are a full inch longer than the under covers*; 

 while the convexity of the bill, from being greater than in the 

 common Teal, establishes its close approximation to Dafila. 



Proceeding thus by analysis, we find several foreign species 

 which may be either called Teal or Ducks. The Boschas 

 Javensis, Sw., is more especially a bird of this description. It 

 is closer allied to the mallard than to any other of the group : 

 this is indicated by the more depressed form of the bill, and the 

 white collar round the neck ; the nape also is very conspicu- 

 ously crested, a peculiarity found in no other group of the 



* In Amis (Boschas} crecca, the tail is so short, that the under covers reach 

 almost to the tip of the middle tail feathers, 



