A9O4 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
dark brown, margined with pale whitish brown; 
lesser wing-coverts pale grey, but more tinged with 
brown than in the male; the greater wing-coverts 
dull greyish brown, tipped with white; the primary 
quills dusky brown; secondaries the same, tipped 
with white ; tertials the same, margined with white ; 
the chin uniform dull white, tinged with pale brown; 
the feathers of the breast and flanks dark brown in 
the centres, margined with the same colour as the 
chin; under tail-coverts the same lhght brown, 
spotted with dark brown. 
The egg is a uniform buff colour, about the same 
size as that of the Teal. 
Tra, Anas crecca. The Teal is a tolerably com- 
mon visitor to this county in winter, at which time 
it is to be found in some of our larger ponds in con- 
siderable flocks, and singly or in smaller flocks in 
the various pools and streams: it also frequents the 
coast and the tidal rivers. Yarrell says it makes its 
appearance about the end of September, which would 
seem to be about the time of its arrival here, as I 
have occasionally shot it on the 1st of October: it 
returns northward to breed in the spring; a few, 
however, remain in England throughout the year 
and breed, but I am not aware that they do so in 
this county. 
This bird is easily kept in confinement, and has 
bred in the Zoological Gardens, Yarrell says, regu- 
larly for five seasons in succession, though restricted 
