A.MERICAN TEAL. 549 



ANAS CAUOLINENSIS. 

 AMERICAN TEAL. 



Anas crecca varietas, Forster, Phil. Trans. Ixii. p. 419 (1772). 



Anas caroliueut^is, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 533 (1788) : et auctorum plurimorum — 



Audubon, (Coues), {Bainl, Brewer, 8f Ricl</toay), &c. 

 Anas americaua, Vicill. Enc. Meth. p. 155 (1823). 



Querquedala carolinensis (Gmel.), Steph. Sliaw^s Gen. Zuol. xii. pt. ii. p. li'8 (1.-24). 

 Nettion caroliueusis {GmeL), Baird, Cassin, S)- Luicrence, B. N. Aincr. p. 777 



(1859). 



The American Teal is often called the Araericaii Grtea-winged Teal, to 

 distinguish it from the so-called American Blue-Avinged Tcal^ whicli is not 

 a Teal but a Garganey. It is admitted into the British list because it has 

 occurred twice^ and possibly three times, in our islands ; but it can only 

 be doubtfully regarded as an accidental visitor to Britain, inasmuch as the 

 practice of importing wildfowl to be kept in a state of semi-domesti- 

 cation on. ornamental sheets of water in parks and gardens is so general. 



The earliest alleged occurrence of the American Teal in England is that 

 of an example shot about the year 1838 at Huntbourne Park, in Hamp- 

 shire (Fellowes, ' Zoologist,^ 1880, p. 71) ; some doubt, however, rests upon 

 the correctness of the identification. The second example is said to have 

 been killed near Scarboro", in November 1851 (Evans, '^ Zoologist,^ 185.2, 

 p. 3472). Mr, Evans informs me that this bird was an adult male, that 

 it differed markedly from the (Common Teal in the absence of the line of 

 liglit bufi; on the sides of the head, that it was identified as the American 

 Teal by Meyer, and that it is now in the collection of Lord Hill at 

 Hawkestone, near Shrewsbury. The third example was shot on the 23rd 

 of November, 1879, on an arm of the Kingsbridge Estuary, South Devon 

 (Nicholls, ' Zoologist/ 1880, p. 70) ; it is described as a male, with plain 

 scapulars and a conspicuous white crescent on the side of the body, just 

 in front of the bend of the wing. 



The distribution of the American Teal on that continent is very similar 

 to that of the Common Teal in Europe and Asia. Its principal l)reeding- 

 grounds are in the Arctic regions from Alaska to Gretnland, whence it 

 migrates in autumn to winter in the Southern States, Mexico, Central 

 America, and the West Indies. In South Canada and in the Northern 

 States it is principally known as passing through on migration in spring 

 and autumn ; but in favourable localities a few remain to breed, and iu 

 mild winters are seen throughout the year. In the Aleutian Islands (as 

 the allied species iu the British Islands) it is a resident, but its numbers 



