7/6 THE CINNAMON TEAL. 



cUi^e til a railmacj irack, some nests liaviiig Ijeeii finiml iliat wei'e ]ilace(l mily 

 six or eif^lil feet a\va\- frniii the rails, just what wliiinsical mition induces 

 this hahit it is difficuU to say, hut the thunder of the engines and cars does not 

 seem to h<ithei- her (hicl<shii) in tlie least, for she sits placiiUy uimui her eggs 

 in utter disregard of passing exenls. Perhaps it is a case (if the Wren's 



nesting in the scarecrow's pijcket 



j. Id. ]^)0\vi.ES. 



No. 312. 



CINNAMON TEAL. 



A. O. U. No. 141. Querquediila cyanoptera ( \ ieill.). 



Sjnonym. — Ria)-i'.i<i-;.\sTKD 'J'i;.\i.. 



Description. — Adult male: Entire ]iluniage except hack and wings, rich 

 chestnut, darker on head, darker and duller iin hellw darkest, almost black, on 

 crissuni : back and inner scapulars warm dusky, margined with cinnamon or 

 lighter, inner and middle wing-coverts (the latter overlapping and nearly con- 

 cealing the greater coverts), and the outer webs of outer scapulars and tertials 

 beautiful light gravish blue; speculum lustrous green, bounded on sides h_\- dusky 

 and in front, onlv in ])art, h\- white ti]is of greater coverts; axillars wdiite; under 

 wing-coverts white and dusky; bill black; feet and legs orange: iris orange. 

 Adult female (and male in l^ust-iiii filial /^liimaije ) : Similar to corres])ouding ])lum- 

 age of Q. discors. but darker; more of the throat and sometimes chin speckled; 

 underparts with at least a tinge of the peculiar chestnut color ; averaging larger. 

 Length 15.50-17.00 ( 31)3. 7-4,^ i.S ) ; wing 7.43 1 iSq.2); tail 2.1JO (73.71; bill 1.80 

 (45.7) ; tarsus 1.32 (33.5). 



Recognition Marks. — Large Teal size; hea\y chestnut coloration of male 

 distinctive. Females and ynung reipiire careful <liscriniinatiou fmni (J. disrors; 

 see above. 



Nesting. — Nest: in grass or heavy weeds near water, of grass and scanty 

 trash, copiouslv lined with slat\' down. Eggs: 9-12, usually 10 or 11, creamv 

 white or ]iale buff, smooth, "oily" surface, .-\v. size, i.X7.\i.4i (47.5x35.8). 

 Season: Ma\- 20-June 15; one brood. 



General Range. — Western .\nierica from Ih'itish Columbia south to Chili, 

 Patagonia, and I-'alkland Islands; east in Xorth .America to the Rocky Mountains 

 and siiuthern Texas; casual in the Mississippi \'alley and b'lorida. 



Range in Washington. — C'ommou summer resident east of the Cascades 

 onh'. 



Authorities. — [Cooper and Suckley, Iveji. Pac. R. R. v^urv. \'ol XTT. ]iX. 11. 

 i860, p. 254; "Ft. l~)alles." (()re.). Xot a valid Washington record.] Anas 

 exauopteva. Dawson, Ank. \'ol. \l\'. A|)r. 181)7. |). 171. !>'. J. 



Specimens. — V. of W. l'ro\-. 



