EUROPEAN TEAL, 49 



Male in Winter. — The Teal, peculiarly so named, is the 

 smallest species of the Anatinse which occur in Britain, Avhere 

 it is indigenous, although the numbers that breed with us are 

 very small compared with those which immigrate from the 

 north in autumn, to depart in spring. It is a remarkably 

 beautiful bird, and in colouring, as well as form, is more 

 nearly allied to the Mallard than any of the other species 

 which I have placed in the same genus. The body is rather 

 elongated, moderately full, a little depressed ; the neck of 

 moderate length, and rather slender ; the head of moderate 

 size oblong, compressed, and considerably rounded above. 



The bill is almost as long as the head, nearly straight, 

 higher than broad at the base, gradually depressed toward 

 the end, with the edges almost parallel, so that the breadth is 

 only about a quarter of a twelfth more toward the end, which 

 is broadly rounded. The upper mandible has the dorsal line 

 at first sloping, then a little concave, afterwards direct, and 

 ultimately decurved, the ridge flattened, gradually narrowed 

 to beyond the nostrils, the sides nearly erect at the base, con- 

 vex toward the end, the unguis oblong, very small, much 

 decurved at the end, the edges somewhat rearcuate, with 

 about fifty-five lamellse, of which the outer ends do not project; 

 the lower mandible with the intercrural space very long and 

 narrow, the unguis obovato-triangular, the edges with more 

 than a hundred outer and more numerous inner lamellae. 



The mouth five-twelfths in width. The tongue an inch 

 and a half in length, fleshy, deeply grooved above, with thin 

 lamellate and filamentous margins, the tips horny, thin, and 

 semicircular. The oesophagus seven inches long, about four- 

 twelfths in width, enlarging to seven-twelfths, then narrowed 

 to a quarter of an inch ; the proventriculus five-twelfths in 

 breadth. The stomach transversely elliptical, an inch and a 

 twelfth long, an inch and four-twelfths in breadth, Avith the 

 muscles very thick, the epithelium dense, with concave grind- 

 ing surfaces. The intestine is three feet ten inches long, its 

 average width nearly two-twelfths ; the cceca four inches and 

 a half long, at first only one-twelfth in Avidth, but enlarging 

 to three-twelfths ; the rectum two inches and a quarter in 

 length. 



VOL. V. E 



