52 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 



the sunken seeds. They become excessively fat, and although the 

 smallest, are one of the most delicious of our ducks. 



Vernon Bailey. 



GENUS QUERQUEDULA. 



General Characters. — Tail feathers 14, bill of nearly uniform width ; 

 upper and lower outlines swollen toward end ; wing- with large patch of 

 light blue, speculum green in males. 



KEY TO ADULT MALES. ^ 



1. Lower parts clear bright cinnamon cyanoptera, p. 52. 



1'. Lower parts thickly spotted with dusky on vinaceous . discors, p. 52. 



KEY TO FEMALES. 



1. Under parts mottled dusky and dark buff . . . cyanoptera, p. 52. 

 1'. Under parts mottled dusky and gray discors, p. 52. 



140. Querquedula discors (Linn.). Blue- winged Teal. 



Adult male. — Sides of head slaty gray, with purple gloss ; white crescent 

 in front of eye bordered by black ; under 

 ^^^MUk^ parts vinaceous, finely spotted with 



^^fl^HBjl^^^ dusky ; back scalloped and streaked with 



^t^^^^KA hI^ dusky and vinaceous ; wing bright blue 



^Hj^^^^^^B ^m^^l^^ at base, middle coverts tipped with white 

 |^^^^^^H|F^|(Pi^H^^^^^ and buffy, speculum iridescent green ; 

 ^H^^^^^p<^^^ under tail coverts black, base of tail with 



hH^^^^T^ white patch on either side. Adult female : 



^MKK^ crown mainly dusky, rest of head and 



^^^HB^ neck speckled and streaked with dusky ; 



wtHm^ ^l. back dusky ; under parts gray, mottled 



Fi„ (53 with dusky ; wing with lesser coverts 



blue, greater tipped with white, spec- 

 ulum greenish. Young : belly white, wing without green. Length : 14.50- 

 16.00, wing 7.00-7.50, bill 1.40-1.65. 



Distribution. — North America, but chiefly east of Rocky Mountains ; in 

 winter south to Ecuador. 



Nest. — On dry ground, or in grass or reeds in marshes ; made of grass 

 and lined with feathers. Eggs : 8 to 12, pale buffy. 



The blue-winged teal is one of the commonest ducks throughout 

 the middle portion of North America, but towards the west coast it 

 becomes scarce, its place being filled by the more abundant cinna- 

 mon teal. It breeds through most of its United States and northern 

 range and migrates early, before the really cold weather. By prefer- 

 ence it inhabits the marshes and grass-fringed ponds, keeping out of 

 sight when it can ; but during migration, like many other ducks, 

 it depends for safety on a wide expanse of open water. 



Vernon Bailey. 



141. Querquedula cyanoptera (Fte«7/.). Cinnamon Teal. 

 Adult male. — Head, neck, breast, and sides bright cinnamon brown, 



