BLUE-WINGED TEAL. I23 



narrow line of white at the extremity of the speculum 

 and a patch on either side of the tail. The lower parts 

 are light chestnut, thickly speckled with black. The 

 under tail-coverts are black, as is also the bill. The 

 eyes, legs and feet are yellow, the latter with dusky 

 markings. 



The female Is always to be known by the blue mark- 

 ings on the wing, though the brilliant green speculum 

 is often wanting. The chin, throat and base of the bill 

 are white, marked with blackish, and the head and neck 

 streaked and speckled with dusky brown. The other 

 parts are dark brown, speckled with dusky brown. The 

 bird is slightly larger than the green-winged teal. 



The blue-winged teal is often called summer teal, and 

 this gives a hint as to one of its habits. It is apparently 

 a bird of more southern distribution than the other 

 teals and is almost the earliest of the migrating ducks 

 to make its appearance. The first to arrive are com- 

 monly found on our streams in late August or early 

 September, and persons who are pushing through the 

 marshes in search of rail very frequently start little 

 bunches of blue-wings from the open places. It may be 

 imagined that such birds have not come from a great 

 distance. Indeed, the blue-winged teal breeds at many 

 points in the West, and would do so more frequently 

 were the birds permitted to make their northward mi- 

 gration without being disturbed by gunners. 



The blue-wing is common throughout Eastern Amer- 

 ica, but in the West its place is chiefly taken by the cin- 

 namon teal, a closely related species. In its northward 



