UPLAND SHOOTING. 131 



lower part of the foreneck is tinj^ed with yellowish-red, and 

 mottled with dark brown, as are the sides ; the rest of the lower 

 parts white. 



" Length to end of tail, 13-' ; to end of claws, 14| ; extent of 

 wings, 22|; M-eight, \Ooz.''—Audttbon'!i Birds of America. 



" Most writers on the ornithology of America have consid- 

 ered this bird as a variety of the European Teal. All, how- 

 ever, agree in their regarding the diflerence in the variety, and 

 of its being constant in the Northern specimens. Thus, Dr. 

 Latham mentions the white pectoral band. Forster says, ' Thi& 

 is a variety of the Teal, for it wants the two white streaks 

 above and below the eyes ; the lower one indeed is faintly ex- 

 pressed in the male, which has also a lunated bar of white over 

 each shoulder; this is not to be found in the European Teal.' 

 Pennant observes, ' that it wants the white line which the Euro- 

 pean one has above each eye, having only one below ; has over 

 each shoulder a lunated bar.' The authors of the Northern 

 Zoology observe, ' The only permanent difference that we have 

 been able to detect, after comparing a number of specimens, is 

 that the English Teal has a white longitudinal band on the 

 scapulars, which the other wants. All the specimens brought 

 home by the Expedition have a broad transverse bar on the shoul- 

 der, which does not exist in the English one.' And our author 

 in his plate, has most distinctly marked the differences. From 

 the testimony of all its describers, marking the variety as perma- 

 nent and similar, I am certainly inclined to consider this bird, 

 though nearly allied, to be distinct ; and as far as we yet know, 

 peculiar to the Northern parts of America. I have not been 

 able to procure a specimen for immediate comparison, and only 

 once had an opportunity of slightly examining a Northern bird. 

 From their great similarity no observers have yet particularl}'- 

 attended to the manners of the American bird, or to the mark- 

 ings of the females. If the above observations are the means of 

 directing farther attention to these points, they will have per- 



