TEAL. 35 



and neck, and white on the chin. Length, i6 ins. Wing, 7*3 

 ins. Tarsus, 1*15 ins. 



Teal. Querqiiednla crecca (Linn.). 



The Teal (Plate 18), our smallest duck, is resident in varying 

 numbeis throughout England, Wales, and Ireland, commonest 

 in the north, and in Scotland it breeds freely. As a winter 

 visitor it is abundant, large numbers reaching our shores 

 in August and September. Abroad it nests throughout northern 

 Europe and Asia, and ranges south in winter into Africa, India, 

 and China. 



The most noticeable mark on the drake is the long white line 

 on the wing, emphasised by the black line below it, showing as 

 a longitudinal btreak on the swimming bird, and as two lines 

 down the back when in flight. At closer quarters a conspicuous 

 buff-framed metallic green patch, from the eye to the neck, 

 is visible on the rich brown head, the finely vermiculated back 

 and flanks are seen, and a prominent black-bordered warm 

 huffish triangle below the tail. The open wing exhibits a broad 

 band of white above the velvety black and metallic green 

 speculum, and a narrower rim of white at the edge of the flight 

 feathers. The brown and buff duck has less distinctive colour- 

 ing, but her white-bordered green speculum distinguishes her 

 from the Garganey, and her small size from the Mallard. 



Though in winter found in considerable numbers in tidal 

 estuaries the general haunt of the Teal is fresh water ; it 

 frequents lakes and quiet pools, especially where there is 

 abundance of cover. In autumn and winter the numbers 

 increase as the coast birds move inland, and though there is 

 some emigration of our home-bred stock in autumn, the idea 

 that the whole body of Teal moves southward is mere guess- 

 work ; some of our birds, but not all, are replaced by more 

 norihern visitors. The system of marking birds has shattered 



