874 



NETTION CAROLINENSIS (Baird). 



THE AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 



Specific Character ■ — Male. — Head and neck rich chestnutrufous inclosing a broad 

 patch of soft dark metallic green on each side of the occiput, from the eye which 

 it surrounds down the sides of the nape, where the two areas of the opposite sides 

 touch a short nuchal crest of bluish black. The green patch bordered anteriorly 

 and beneath by a yellowish white line, and a less distinct line of the same border- 

 ing the base of the upper mandible, extending thence back to and indistinctly 

 following for a short distance the upper anterior portion of the green patch. Chin 

 and upper part of the throat dull black. Front of the jugulum deep pinkish 

 cream colour with roundish and transversely ovate spots of black. Collar round 

 the lower neck, sides of the jugulum, sides and flanks, very delicately and beauti- 

 fully undulated with black upon a white ground; outer scapulars similarly waved. 

 Sides of the breast with a large transverse bar of plain white. Crissum rich deep 

 cream colour bounded anteriorly and divided medially with velvety black; post 

 femoral region waved like the flanks ; rest of the lower parts plain white, some- 

 times tinged with cream colour. Back, scapulars, rump, wing coverts, primaries 

 and tail, plain cinereous. Outer row of scapulars with their outer webs about 

 half velvety, black bordered interiorly with a white line. Last row of 

 coverts broadly tipped with deep ochraceous ; speculum opaque black, narrowly 

 tipped with white, the four or five upper feathers with their outer webs richly 

 marked with brilliant soft metallic green varying from golden to violaceous, 

 according to the light. Bill black ; iris brown ; feet light flesh colour. Female. — 

 Wings as in the male, but duller. Above cinereous dusky variegated with edgings 

 and transverse bars of ochraceous white ; rest of body dingy whitish speckled 

 with dusky. 



Total length about 14 inches ; extent, 20.00 ; wing, 7.00 culmen, 1.50 ; tarsus. 

 1.25 ; middle toe, 1.30. 



Habitat. — North America in general, breeding chiefly north of the United 

 >S^tates, migrating south as far as Honduras and Cuba. 



This handsome little Teal is tolerably common in southern Ontario 

 during the spring and fall migrations, in April and September, but it has not 

 been known to breed so far south, and if at all it must be very sparingly. In the 

 fall it collects in large flocks and for a few days often affords good sport, however 

 we will never see it here again so plentiful as it used to be a few years ago. At 

 that time if a sportsman succeeded in finding a " Teal hole " he could make a great 

 bag on account of their habit of clustering so closely together, and returning over 

 and over again to the same place after being shot at. Its flesh is white and delicate, 

 and on account of its being so fat is considered a great delicacy. It feeds much 

 the same as the Blue-winged Teal. The female usually lays from (S to 10 eggs of 

 a white colour. 



