148 AMERICAN TEAL. 



some persons, placed in such a manner as to rise or 

 fall with the water. The female lays about a dozen 

 reddish-white eggs, which are indistinctly sprinkled 

 with brown dots ; they are about the size of those of 

 a pigeon. 



The Teal is the least bird of this family : it fre- 

 quents ponds, marshes, and the reedy shores of creeks, 

 inlets, and rivers : it flies in small flocks, and feeds 

 at night : its flesh is excellent : its food is similar to 

 that of the last described species. 



AMERICAN TEAL. 

 (Querquedula Carolinensis.) 



Qu. nigro alboque undulata, capite colloque supra castaneis, fascia 

 pone oculos speculoque alari viridibus, humeris lunuld alba, 

 infra oculos linea obsolete alba. 



Teal waved with black and white, with the head and neck chesnut 

 above, a streak near the eyes, and the alar speculum green, the 

 shoulder with a white lunule, and an obsolete white line be- 

 neath the eyes. 



Anas Carolinensis. Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1. 533. Lath. Ind. Orn. 

 2. 874. 



American Teal. Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 504. Lath. Gen. Syn. 

 6. 554. 



THE American Teal has the head and the upper 

 part of the neck of a fine deep bay colour, with a 

 changeable broad green bar from each eye to the 

 occiput : beneath the eye an obscure whitish line : 

 the fore part of the neck and the breast are spotted 



