ANATID.«. 



431 



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THE TEAL. 



Nettion crecca (Linnaeus). 



It is chiefly between September and the following spring that this, 

 the smallest of our indigenous Ducks, is really abundant throughout 

 the British Islands ; but it nests, sparsely, throughout the south of 

 England, and even occasionally along the valley of the Thames. In 

 the eastern counties it is a fairly numerous breeder, while north of 

 the Trent it becomes more frequent; and it finds suitable retreats in 

 the Welsh bogs, as well as in the ' mosses ' of I-ancashire and 

 Cumberland. Except in the Outer Hebrides, where it is rare even 

 in winter, it is a widely distributed breeding-species in Scotland, 

 including the Orkneys and Shetlands. It breeds in every county 

 of Ireland, where a great influx takes place during the cold season. 



During summer the Teal is common in Iceland and the north of 

 Europe, while a few pairs nest locally as far south as the Mediter- 

 ranean, and even in the Azores. In cold weather it is found all 

 over the Continent wherever fresh-water does not freeze for any 

 length of time ; it visits Madeira, the Canaries and North Africa ; is 

 numerous in Egypt ; and goes as far south as the highlands of 



