170 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



COMMON TEAL. 



QuERQUEDULA CRECCA (Liimseus). 



Local Name — Throstle- Teal, 



One of the earliest to arrive of the migrating Ducks, 

 the Teal makes its appearance in autumn about the end 

 of August or beginning of September, and at that time 

 is met with in larger numbers even than the common 

 Wild Duck, though as winter draws on this proportion 

 is reversed. In hard frosts it is a frequent visitor to 

 many of the inland reservoirs. A few pairs always 

 remain throughout the year, and, on one or other of the 

 "mosses" bordering the coast, its nest is found almost 

 every season, but it is certainly decreasing as a breeding 

 species. From the records of the decoy at Hale 

 (p. 156), it will be seen that Teal have always formed a 

 large proportion of the Ducks which have been captured 

 there. 



GENUS SPATULA. 



SHOVELER. 



Spatula clypeata (Linnaeus). 



Local Name — Spoonbill. 



A winter visitor, present, no doubt, every season, but 

 only in small numbers. Formerly it was much com- 

 moner, especially during the spring migration, and Mr. 

 Robert Gray, who remarks, in his "Birds of the West 

 of Scotland " (1871, p. 364), that he has " seen numbers 

 of Shovelers shot on the Ribble, in Lancashire, early in 



