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Tail brown, margined with paler, the feathers pointed, a patch of 

 white on the sides of the rump; back brownish-black, glossed with 

 green; the feathers on the fore part of the back and lower portion 

 of the hind-neck margined with yellowish-white. Primaries brown ; 

 inner webs of the secondaries same color ; outer vanes dark green, 

 which form the speculum; secondary coverts brown, the outer broad- 

 ly tipped with white, the inner tipped with blu^ ; tertials dark green, 

 with central markings of deep buft'; feet dull yellow. 



Female without the white patch on the sides of the head ; throat 

 white ; lower parts grayish-brown, the fealhei s spotted with darker ; 

 Upper parts blackish-brown, the feathers margined with bluish white 

 and pale bull'; smaller wing-coverts blue ; speculum green ; secon* 

 dary coverts the same as those of the male. Length fourteen inch- 

 es, wing seven inches and a half 



The Blue-Winged Teal is the first of its tribe that leaves the North. 

 Subsisting on tender plants and insects, early in the season, it is 

 compelled to migrate to a mijJer climate, and arrives among us usu- 

 ally in the month of September. It lakes up its abode near the 

 small streams and mill-ponds, where an abundant supply of its fa- 

 vorite food is found. It remains with us but a short lime, and then 

 resumes ils journey to the most southern extremity of the Union. 



This species breeds on Long Island. At ''Fort Pond," iMontauk| 

 it is said a few are found breeding every season. 



