WATER BIRDS. 83 



Some of the earlier lists gave it as nesting, but this probably is a mistake. 

 It is known to breed throughout most of northern British America, even 

 to the Arctic Circle, but the southernmost point where it now nests abund- 

 antly seems to be the Devil's Lake region of North Dakota. According 

 to A. C. Bent (Auk, XVIII, 335-36) it is a late breeder there, very few 

 eggs being found before June 1. On June 15 he found twelve nests in a 

 single half hour. All were placed on dry ground, in slight hollows, lined 

 with grasses, w^eeds and an abundance of gray down, with which the eggs 

 are completely covered when the mother leaves the nest. The eggs are 

 from eight to twelve and vary from almost white to deep cream color. 

 They average 2.06 by 1.48 inches. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Adult male in full plumage with the forehead and crown pure white or creamy white, 

 the sides of the head above and back of the eye glossy green, this color extending to and 

 including the nape. Ordinarily both the white of the crown and the green of the head 

 are more or less spotted and streaked, the former with black, the latter with white. The 

 remainder of the head and neck is gray due to rather coarse spotting and streaking with 

 black on the white ground color. The upper breast and sides are pinkisli-brown (" vinace- 

 ous") without streaks or spots, but the feathers often with ashy edgings. Lower breast 

 and belly pure white; under tail-coverts velvet black in sharp contrast. Back, scapulars 

 and rump finely barred (vermiculated) with black and slate or buff, some of the scapulars 

 with black shaft streaks. The speculiun shows a narrow green area surroimded by dull 

 black, with a large white patch in front. The shoulders (lesser wing-coverts) are pale 

 ashy-brown; the tertiaries lanceolate, much lengthened, the outer webs glossy black 

 margined with pure white. The female is difficult to describe, but may commonly be 

 recognized by the combination of a finely streaked head and neck with pinkish-brown 

 breast and sides and the lanceolate, streaked tertiaries. She does not ordinarily show 

 any trace of green about the head, or of pure white on forehead and crown. 



Length 18 to 22 inches, wing 10.25 to 11, culmen 1.30 to 1.50. 



38. Green- winged Teal. Nettion carolinense (Gmel). (139) 



Synonyms: Green-wing, Winter Teal, Red-headed Teal. — Anas carolinensis, Gmel., 

 1789. — Querquedula carolinensis, Steph., 1824. — Nettion carolinensis of most recent 

 authors. 



The bright cinnamon head with a large metalhc green patch on each 

 side is characteristic of the adult male. In any plumage the small size 

 separates it from everything but the Blue-winged Teal, and the absence 

 of the pale blue shoulder excludes that. 



Distribution. — North America, breeding chiefly north of the United 

 States, and migrating south to Honduras and Cuba. 



The Green-winged Teal at present is not a common bird in any part of 

 the state. It occurs sparingly in early spring (March 15 to April 30), 

 and lingers in the fall at least until ice begins to form (Nov. 20 to Dec. 15). 

 We have little reason to believe that it nests within our limits now, although 

 it probably did so sparingly in years gone by. IMajor Boies records it as 

 nesting on Neebish Island between 1892 and 1894. Its normal breeding 

 grounds are well to the north of JNIichigan. The nest is placed on the 

 ground, not necessarily close to water, and the eggs vary in number from 

 eight to eighteen. They are white or buffy white, and average 1.75 by 

 1.28 inches. 



Except while nesting the birds are commonly seen in compact flocks, 

 often of large size. They feed freely on seeds, grasses and other vegetable 

 matter, but also eat insects and other animal food. Where they have 



