TEAL. 187 



they separated and paired, on the approach of the following 

 spring. The Teal breeds in the long rushy herbage about 

 the edges of lakes, or in the boggy parts of the upland moors. 

 Its nest is formed of a large mass of decayed vegetable mat- 

 ter, with a lining of down and feathers, upon which eight or 

 ten eggs rest." Dr. Heysham, in his Catalogue of Cumber- 

 land Animals, says, that a few Teal certainly breed in the 

 mosses of that county every year. 



In Ireland the Teal is found in great numbers throughout 

 the winter, and a few are resident there all the year. Sir 

 Robert Sibbald, and other authorities since his time, notice 

 the Teal as inhabiting the edges of the Scottish lakes ; Mr. 

 Dunn, however, says that it is not numerous either in Orkney 

 or Shetland, although the most so in winter ; but that a few 

 pairs occasionally remain during summer and breed. They 

 prefer the inland lakes to the sea-shore. Richard Dann, 

 Esq. sent me word that this beautiful little Duck is widely 

 and numerously dispersed over the whole of Norway and 

 Sweden, but is most plentiful in the north during the breed- 

 ing season. It breeds all over Lapland, both western and 

 eastern, and is very abundant in the Dofre Fiell, within the 

 range of the birch trees. The eggs vary in number from ten 

 to fifteen. It breeds also in the cultivated districts in all 

 the mosses and bogs. Mr. Proctor says the Teal is pretty 

 common in Iceland. Eastward of Scandinavia it is found 

 in Russia, and is abundant in Germany, Holland, France, 

 Spain, and Italy ; visits North Africa in winter, and has been 

 noticed at Smyrna and Trebizond. The Teal was found in 

 the vicinity of the Caucasian range, by Russian naturalists, 

 and is included in catalogues of the birds of various parts of 

 India, China, and Japan. The Teal of North America is 

 distinct from the Teal of Europe and Asia. 



In the adult male Teal the beak is nearly black ; the irides 

 hazel ; forehead, and a narrow band over the top of the head, 



