1.50 BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 



Sarcelle soucrourette. Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. 9. 280. Duff. PL 



Enl. 403. 

 Blue-winged Teal. Catesby, Carol. l.pL 99. Wils. Amer. Orn. 



viii. p. 74. pL Ixviii. f. 4. 



LENGTH upwards of fifteen inches : beak black ; 

 its base surrounded by black : crown of the head also 

 black : a white stripe between the beak and eye : the 

 rest of the head and neck glossy green, changing 

 to violet : the back brown, waved transversely with 

 irregular grey lines : the wing-coverts blue : below 

 them a band of white : speculum green : quills and 

 tail brown : the lower part of the neck before, the 

 breast, and belly pale rufous, marked with dusky 

 spots : legs yellow. The female is rather less : beak 

 as in the male: the head and neck brown, varied with 

 pale grey : the back deeper brown : the feathers edged 

 with yellowish buff-colour : the breast and sides the 

 same, but paler : the belly and vent pale yellowish- 

 brown : the scapulars dusky black : the wing-coverts 

 pale blue : the speculum green, with a narrow bar of 

 white between them : the quills and tail dusky : the 

 legs dusky-yellow. 



Abundant in America : they arrive in Carolina in 

 August, feed on the rice, and depart in October : 

 when the rice is exhausted they attack the wild oats, 

 and frequent the ponds and fresh waters. Their flesh 

 is said to be very excellent. They fly rapidly, and 

 when they alight drop down suddenly, after the 

 manner of the Woodcock. 





