ANSERES. 



TEAL. 



387 



ANATID.E. 



QUERQUEDULA CRECCA (Linn8BUS*). 



THE TEAL. 



Anas crecca. 



QuERQCEDULA, Stephens f. — Bill about as long as the head, the edges nearly 

 parallel ; the extremities of the lamella exposed along the projecting edge of 

 the upper mandible ; nostrils small and oblong. Wings rather long, pointed, 

 the first and second quill-feathers sub-equal and longer than the rest ; scapulars 

 and inner secondaries elongated and pointed. Tail of sixteen feathers, short 

 and rounded. Legs short ; tarsus compressed, anteriorly scutellate ; hind toe 

 very small ; outer toe much shorter than the third ; centre toe rather long ; 

 interdigital membrane emarginate ; claws small, somewhat curved. 



This prettily marked species, the smallest of our Ducks, 

 but one of the best as an article of food, is principally 



* A7ias Crecca, LinnsBus, Syst. Nat. Ed. 12, i. p. 204 (1766). 

 t Shaw's Gen. Zool. xii. pt. ii. p. 142 (1824). 



