THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 103 

 QUERQUEDULA DISCOES (Linnaeus) 

 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, PATO DE LA FLORIDA, SARCELLE 



Anas discors Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 205 (Virginia or 

 Carolina). 



Satcelle, Saint-Mery, Descript. Part Frang. lie Saint-Domingue, vol. 2, 

 1798, p. 565 (Btang Miragoane). — Descourtilz, Voy. Nat., vol. 2, 1809, pp. 256- 

 257 (Haiti). 



Teal, Saint-Mery, Descript. Span. Part Saint-Domingue, vol. 1, 1798, p. 214 

 (Manzanillo and " Cosbeck " Bays). 



Anas discors, Bryant, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 11, May, 1867, p. 

 97 (Dominican Republic). 



Querquedula discors, Salle, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1857, p. 237 (Higuey). — 

 Cory, Birds Haiti and San Domingo, March, 1885, pp. 168-189 (listed) ; Cat. 

 West Indian Birds, 1892, p. 86 (Haiti, Dominican Republic). — Tippenhauer, Die 

 Insel Haiti, 1892, p. 323 (listed).— Christy, Ibis, 1897, p. 342 (Tuna swamps).— 

 Verrill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1909, p. 355 (Dominican Repub- 

 lic).— Beebe, Zool. Soc. Bull., vol. 30, 1927, p. 138; Beneath Tropic Seas, 1928, 

 pp. 67, 70, 218 (Haiti).— Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 80, 

 1928, p. 491 (Fjtang Miragoane, Trou Caiman, Port-de-Pais). 



Winter visitor, common; migrant from North America. 



For a bird that is reported as common there are comparatively 

 few definite records for the blue-winged teal, probably because 

 most of the specimens shot have found their way into the cooking 

 pot. Moreau de Saint-Mery wrote that " ducks, teals * * * fly 

 in clouds particularly in the Bay of Mancenilla and that of Cos- 

 beck," a statement that must refer in part to the present bird since 

 it is the most common of migrant ducks in the West Indies. Salle 

 recorded it in the marshes near Higuey, Dominican Republic, and 

 Christy shot several in the Yuna swamps but did not find it com- 

 mon. Verrill makes only a general statement regarding it. Abbott 

 reported a small flock on Lake Enriquillo, October 1 to 6, 1919. 



In Haiti Bartsch recorded the blue-winged teal at Glore on the 

 Etang Saumatre April 3, 1917, and at Trou Caiman April 4. Ab- 

 bott collected one from a large flock at Les Basses on January 4, 

 1918, and others at the Etang Saumatre April 10 and 13, 1920. 



Saint-Mery reports teal, apparently this species from Etang 

 Miragoane, and Descourtilz gives a very good description of the 

 blue-winged teal under the name " Sarcelle commune de Saint- 

 Domingue." The latter author speaks of ten species of ducks that 

 are recognized by hunters in Haiti, and says that at Etable (near the 

 Artibonite) ducks were so numerous that their noise disturbed his 

 sleep. His servant in four shots at night killed fifty-eight. Offi- 

 cers of the Marine Corps who hunted extensively in the marshes 

 and lakes of the lowlands informed Wetmore that from November 

 to March this teal was the most abundant duck that they encoun- 



