1916 ] Murphy, Anatidoe of South Georgia. 271 



Querquedula antarctica, Cabanis, Journ. f. Ornith., 1888, 118, pi. 1. 

 Nettion georgicum, Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XXVII, 1895, 264; 

 Lonnberg, Kungl. Svensk. Vet. Akad. Handl. XL, 5, 1906, 66. 



Endemic Anatinte inhabit several of the subantarctic islands, 

 the species peculiar to South Georgia being the southernmost of 

 the whole group. This little teal was among the birds noted by 

 Captain James Cook in January, 1775, on the occasion of the first 

 recorded landing at South Georgia. 



Eleven adults and one duckling were collected by the writer 

 between November, 1912, and March, 1913. A single additional 

 skin was received subseciuently from Mr. Jose G. Correia, of New 

 Bedford, Mass. 



Under the new name Querquedula antarctica, Cabanis in 1888 

 published a colored plate of this teal. The figure is poor as regards 

 both contour and coloration, and the bill is shown entirely black. 

 Lonnberg {loc. cit. Taf. 2) illustrates the head of a male, showing 

 correctly the distribution of color on the bill, but here again the 

 yellow of the lithograph is very unlike the hue of the living bird's 

 bill. I had Lonnberg's plate with me at South Georgia, and com- 

 pared it with freshly killed teals. 



Lonnberg's description of the species leaves little to be desired. 

 It should be amended to this slight extent, viz., mature females, 

 as well as males, have the central velvety black stripe along the 

 tertials, although on the average it is slightly more pronaunced in 

 male specimens. In general, the female is distinguishable only by 

 the dull speculum and slightly smaller size. The entire speculum 

 in each of my eight adult males has a green gloss when viewed 

 obliquely. Birds in fresh plumage have conspicuously whitish 

 breasts, due to wide colorless margins on the feathers which subse- 

 quently wear away, leaving only the brown central portions. 



Flesh colors. Iris dark brown. Culmen, nail, and distal border 

 of maxilla, black; remainder of tip of bill, slaty blue; sides of 

 maxilla Naples-yellow, becoming greenish where it blends with the 

 blue tip. Legs and feet olive-green, mottled with sooty-brown. 



Measurements in millimeters. 



Eight males, collected between November 30 and December 30. 

 Length (skins), 418^45; wing, 211-222; tail, 93-104; culmen. 



