VOL. X.] NOTES. 148 



and at such times lie would appear to be seriously considering 

 the venture himself, but unable to sumuion courage for more 

 than a " flap-dance." 



In connection with this note, it may here be recorded that 

 the date when the nest was finally left by both birds was 

 Auqust ?>Oth, 1914, and that the same nest (m a tree) had 

 contained eggs in the preceding April ; as these were not 

 interfered with, there is every reason to believe that in this 

 case two broods were reared in the year. I may add that the 

 sanie nest was again utilised in April of 1916, Avhen I re- 

 visited it. A. H. Machell Cox. 



GREEN- WINGED TEAL WITH FOUR WINGS. 



Mr. C. E. Johnson discusses in The. Auk (1915, pp. 469-80, 

 pi. xxvii-xxix) a very interesting case of a wild-shot American 

 Green-winged Teal (Anas c. carolinensis) with four wings. 

 The bird was an adult female and was shot in November, 

 1914, near Wyoming. Minnesota. It appeared to have no 

 difflculty in flymg. By the courtesy of the editor of The Auk 

 we are able to reproduce a photograph of the bird after it 

 had been stuffed. Describing the bird's " external features," 

 Mr. Johnson states that the two sides are essentially alike in 

 external appearance, and proceeds : " When the primary- 

 wings are raised, the supernumerary wings a])pear as a 

 miniature set springing from the under-side of the former 

 at the region of the elbow^, presenting corresponding surfaces 

 and with divisions of forearm and hand clearly hidicated. 

 The feathery covering shows no modifications representing 

 flight feathers, but consists of under wing-coverts, which 

 belong primarily to the feather tracts of the normal ])air." 

 Apparently, complete flexion or extension of the super- 

 numerary wings could not take ]ilace. '' When the primary- 

 Avings are folded in place against the body, the tips of the 

 smaller set project beyond their margins ventrally as a ]iair 

 of inconspicuous feather tufts. . . . The accessory wings 

 may possibly during life have interfered somewhat with 

 the folding of the larger pair, though in the dead bird this is 

 not apparent." 



Mr. Johnson then proceeds to discuss the skeleton and the 

 muscles and nerves, and finally the question of causes, but 

 for these details we must refer those of our readers who are 

 interested to the original. 



My. Johnson states that he has found no record of any 

 avian abnor)nality similar to the case described. He 

 gives a short bibliography relative to accessory digits and 



