388 ANATID/E. 



known as an early and constant winter visitor, making its 

 appearance in September, and remaining with us till spring 

 has made considerable progress. Its numbers are recruited 

 through the winter months by additional arrivals from the 

 northern parts of Europe, and our markets in consequence 

 obtain a regular supply from the various decoys and other 

 modes of capture. Although the majority return in spring 

 to more northern localities to breed, many remain in this 

 country, and pass the summer near fresh- water lakes. In 

 the south of England suitable localities are comparatively 

 scarce, but it nests, although sparsely, in Devon, Dorset, 

 Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, and, occasionally, along the valley 

 of the Thames. In the eastern counties, especially Norfolk, 

 it is a fairly numerous breeder ; north of the Trent, it is to 

 be found nesting still more frequently ; the Welsh lakes and 

 bogs offer it suitable summer retreats, and so do the ' mosses ' 

 of Lancashire and Cumberland. In Scotland it breeds regu- 

 larly in most districts, although only sparingly in Orkney 

 and Shetland. In Ireland it is common, and to a consider- 

 able extent resident ; its numbers receiving important acces- 

 sions in autumn and winter. 



In summer the Teal is abundant in Iceland, Scandinavia, 

 and the north of Europe ; it visits the Canaries, and 

 Madeira ; breeds in the Azores ; and there is fair evidence 

 that some remain to nest in Spain, Greece, and other por- 

 tions of the south of Europe. In vvinter it is found all over 

 the Continent, wherever fresh water does not freeze for any 

 time ; it visits North Africa ; is very numerous in Egypt ; 

 and goes as far south as the highlands of Abyssinia. East- 

 ward, it is found in Asia Minor, Palestine, Persia, India 

 down to Burmah, and Siam, on passage ; also in China and 

 Japan ; its breeding- range extending across the central and 

 northern portions of Asia up to the Arctic Circle. 



Our Teal is a rare straggler to Greenland, Labrador, and 

 the eastern seaboard of America, down to North Carolina. 

 Its representative, however, on that continent is the American 

 Green-winged Teal, Q. carolinensis, the male of which 

 differs from the Old World bird in not having a well-defined 



