THE GREEN-WIXGED TEAL. 773 



^ vaceous or ocliraceous tinge; s])eciilum shining green, velvety pnrplish black on 

 outer feathers, bounded in front by chestnut or fawn tips of greater coverts, be- 

 hind narrowly by white, and on inner margin by abrupt black of outer tertiary ; 

 crissum velvety purplish black with a partially enclosed creamy or buff patch on 

 either side ; bill livid black : feet and legs dusky bluish : iris brown. Adult female: 

 Speculum substantially as in male; no other trace of pattern of male save white 

 patch on side of crissum ; upperparts brownish dusky tinged with greenish and 

 edged with lighter; head and neck dusky brown, streaked with ocliraceous above, 

 elsewhere pale huffy, speckled with dusky ; breast and sides brownish dusky, 

 ochraceous-brown, and whitish, the former in crescentic and U-sha]5ed markings, 

 and the whole suffused with brownish buft'y ; belh- and crissum pale huffy or 

 brownish buft'y, obscurely spotted and streaked with darker. Length 12.30-15.00 

 (317.5-381); av, of six males: wing 7.08 ( 179.8); tail 2,63 (66.8); hill 1.48 

 (37.6): tarsus 1.19 (30.2). 



Recognition Marks. — The smallest duck; chestnut and green head of male; 

 black and shining green speculum, with size, distinctive. 



Nesting. — Xcst: on the ground, of weeds and grasses, lined with feathers 

 and down. Eggs: 6-8, rarely 10-12, greenish buff" or buft'y while. .\v. size, 

 1.82x1.27 (46.2x32.3). Season: c. June ist; one brood. 



General Range. — .\cirth .America, breeding chiefly north of the United 

 States, and migrating snuth to Honduras and Cuba. 



Range in Washington. — Common migrant and less comnK.m winter resident 

 on East-side and \\'est-side, — a rare breeder in the interior. 



Authorities.— Baird, Rep, I'ac, R. R. Surv. \"(il. IX. 1858, p. 77S. T. C&S. 

 L-'. Rh. D'. Kb. D^ Kk. J. B. E. 



Specimens. — U. nf W. P'. Prov. 1!. E. 



AROLTND the lodge-fire sportsmen are much gi\en In discussing the rela- 

 tive swiftness on the wing of their feathered game, and what question is more 

 common than, "How far do you lead a cross-quartering teal duck that is late 

 for an engagement and flying with the w'ind behind him?" This query shows 

 that the Teals are put in a class by themselves so far as speed is concerned, 

 and trul\' their e.xhibitions of flight border on the sensational. !\lii\ing at a 

 rate of certainly not less than (me hundred miles an hour, the evolutions of 

 a large flock of these birds are tnUy startling. The_\' fly in such close order 

 that one would think their wings must interfere, even on a straight course; 

 • yet of a sudden the whole flock will tiu-n at a right angle, or wheel and twist 

 .as if it were one bird. The looker-on can only wonder what the signal may 

 be which is gi\'en and obe}'ed to such perfection, for the least hesitation or mis- 

 take on the part of a single bird would resiflt in death rir a broken wing to a 

 score. 



Unless the flocks are greatly reduced b^' shooting, these birds seldom 

 travel alone, being most often seen in companies of from half a dozen to 

 si.xty or seventy. They lo\'e to feed upon the insects left in the mud by the 

 receding tide, or in the shallows of the fresh water marshes. In the latter 

 places they dig their bills amongst the grass and mud beneath the surface in 



