948 



TARNEY—TEAL 



TARNEY, TARRACK and TARRET, said to be local names 

 of the common Tern ; but the second, spelt 



TARROCK, is generally used for the Kittiwake (p. 492) in 

 immature jilumage. 



TARSEL and TASSEL [Romeo and Juliet, ii. 2, 160) corruptions 

 of Tercel. 



TARSUS, in common descriptive ornithology the third and 

 most conspicuous portion of the Bird's leg, whence the toes spring. 

 For its actual composite nature see Skeleton (p. 864). 



TATLER, a name applied in North America to various species 

 of Sandpiper (p. 810) ; but generally with a distinctive prefix. Its 

 first recognition as an ornithological term seems to be in 1831 by 

 Richardson and Swainson {Faun. Bor.-Ariier. ii. p. 388), but it was 

 probably used before colloquially {cf. Telltale}. 



TEAL (Old English Tele), a word of uncertain origin, but 

 doubtless cognate with the Dutch Taling (formerly Talingh and 

 Telingli), and this apparently with the Scandinavian Atteling-And 

 (Briinnich, Orn. Bar. p. 18) and Atling, which it seems impossil)le 



not to connect with the Scottish 

 Atteal (p. 22), though this last 

 word (however it be spelt) is gener- 

 ally used in conjunction Avith Teal, 

 as if to mean a different kind of 

 bird ; and commentators have shewn 

 a marvellous ineptitude in surmising 

 what that bird was. 



The Teal is the Anas crecca of 

 Linnteus, and the smallest of the 

 Eiu'opean Anatidx (DuCK, p. 168), 

 as well as one of the most abundant and highly esteemed for the 

 table. It breeds in many parts of the British Islands, making its 

 nest in places very like those chosen by the Wild DuCK, A. boscas ; 

 but there is no doubt that by far the greater number of those that 

 are taken in decoys, or are shot, during the autumn and winter are 

 of foreign origin. While the female presents the usual inconspicuous 

 mottled plumage of the same sex in most species of Anatinai, the male 

 is one of the handsomest of his kind ; but too Avell known to need 

 description. It inhabits almost the Avhole of Europe and Asia, — 

 from Iceland to Japan, — in winter visiting Northern Africa and 

 India, and occasionally occurring on the Avestern shores of the 

 Atlantic ; but its place in North America is taken by its repre- 

 sentative, A. carolinensis, the male of Avhich is easily to be recognized 



1881, p. 435) to be sufficiently remarkable (c/. Sclater, Cat. B. Br. JIiis. xv. pp. 

 329-336). 



Bill of Teal. (After Swainson.) 



