420 TEAL. 



numerous in Egypt, and goes as far south as the highlands of 

 Abyssinia. It is distributed throughout Asia, from the Arctic circle in 

 summer to Siam in winter ; in all probability it breeds on the islands 

 of the Aleutian chain, and it has been obtained in Alaska in June ; 

 but generally throughout North America its representative is Q. 

 carolinaisis, the subject of the next article. To the eastern seaboard, 

 however, from Labrador down to North Carolina, our Teal is a 

 rare straggler, and it has been obtained in Greenland. 



The nest — placed in tufts of heather, or under low bushes on the 

 borders of morasses and pools — is composed of dry grass and leaves, 

 to which a lining of down is added during the progress of incubation. 

 The eggs, usually laid early in May, are from 8-10 and even up 

 to 15 in number; their colour is huffish- or creamy-white, with 

 a tinge of green: average measurements i'8 by 1*2 in. Many 

 instances are on record of the affection of this bird for its brood, 

 and a female has even been known to follow her ducklings into 

 captivity. The food, obtained by night, on or near fresh-water, 

 consists chiefly of the seeds of aquatic grasses, grain, rice (in warm 

 countries), worms, slugs and insects. The Teal has repeatedly bred 

 in the Gardens of the Zoological Society and elsewhere ; while in 

 the wild state hybrids between it and the Wigeon are sometimes 

 produced ; one of these being the so-called ' Bimaculated Duck,' 



The adult male has the bill blackish ; crown, nape and cheeks 

 rich chestnut ; round and behind the eye an elongated patch of 

 glossy-green enclosed within narrow lines of buff, while a stripe of 

 the latter colour runs from the forehead to the base of the bill ; 

 upper parts delicately vermiculated with black and white; on the 

 secondaries a speculum of black, green and purple, tipped with 

 yellowish-white ; rump and tail-coverts almost black ; tail-feathers 

 ash-brown ; chin black ; throat chestnut ; front of neck spotted with 

 black on a warm buff ground ; breast and belly white ; flanks deli- 

 cately barred with black and white ; under tail-coverts black in the 

 centre and warm buff on each side ; legs and toes brownish-grey. 

 Length 14*5 in. ; wing 7 '2 5 in. From the middle of July till October 

 the drake is in female dress, and I have found brown feathers on the 

 back as late as December. The female is mottled with brown on the 

 upper parts, and has little or no purple in the speculum ; the young 

 resemble her. 



The North American Summer-Duck, Aix sponsa, is kept and 

 breeds freely on many ornamental waters, and wanderers are some- 

 times shot. 



