3o6 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



estuaries, bays, and tidal waters. It is also found during 

 winter on expanses of fresh water inland. Although feeding 

 on marine insects and Crustacea, it is chiefly a vegetable eater, 

 living almost entirely upon Zostera marina when on the 

 coast. 



In Scotland a good many pairs remain to breed, and 

 during summer it frequents high moorlands and inland 

 waters. The nest is built in a tuft of rushes or among heather. 

 The note is a melodious whistle, which may be expressed as 

 *' whee you." 



The male has the head and neck chestnut, with a broad 

 buff stripe extending backwards over the crown ; back grey, 

 uniformly vermiculated ; throat and upper neck chestnut ; 

 breast white, vermiculated on the flanks ; shoulders white ; 

 speculum green. In the "eclipse" plumage, the head is dark 

 chestnut, grizzled with brown ; back brown, with chestnut 

 edgings to the feathers ; flanks chestnut ; under parts white. 

 The female is dark brownish grey above, paler on the wing- 

 coverts, and white underneath. Length about i8 in. ; wing 

 lo'sin. 



COMMON TEAL 



Anas crecca (JLinnceus) 



This is the smallest of our native species of Duck, and is 

 locally distributed throughout our islands at all times of the year, 

 but its numbers are largely augmented in winter by the arrival 

 of vast flocks from abroad. It may be found in winter near the 

 mouths of rivers and shallow estuaries as well as inland ; its 

 food consists of grain, insects, worms, slugs, and molluscs. 



It breeds throughout our islands, but is more numerous in 

 the north. The nest is generally placed at some distance from 

 water on a dry moorland or grass field. 



The male has the crown, nape, cheeks, and throat chest- 

 nut ; an elongated patch of purplish green behind the eye, the 



