NATATORES — ANATID.E — ANAS. 339 



This is the most beautiful of all the ducks known ; the only one approaching it being the 

 A. galericulata, or Mandarin Duck of China, which indeed it strongly resembles. Its popular 

 name of Wood Duck is derived from the fact that it makes its nest in hollow trees. During 

 the summer only is it seen in this State, migrating southwardly with the cold weather. It is 

 easily domesticated, and one of my neighbors raises numbers of them annually. Its food 

 consists of acorns, seeds of aquatic plants, and insects. It breeds from Mexico to the 

 Columbia river, and eastwardly to Nova-Scotia : its eggs yellowish white. It has been 

 found from 19° south to 54° north latitude. Peculiar to America. 



THE BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 



Anas discors. 

 plate cxi. fig. 346. 



Anas discors. Linn.eus, Syst. Nat. p. 205. 

 White-faced Teal. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 568. 

 A. id., Blue-winged Teal. Wilson, Am. Om. Vol. 8, p. 74, pi. 68, fig. 4. 

 A. (Anas) id. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 385., 



Boschas id. Richabdson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 444. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 307. 

 A. id. Audubon B. of A. Vol. 6, p. 287, pi. 393. 

 Cynnopierus id. Bonaparte, Geog. and Comp. List, p. 57. Giraud, Birds o( Long island, p. 315. 



Characteristics. Mirrror green, bordered with white ; wing-coverts light blue ; quill-shafts 

 dusky. Male : head and neck purple-green ; crown black, with a white 

 crescent on each side of the head before the eyes. Female : head and 

 neck dusky ; light-colored on the sides of the head near the bill. 

 Length, 15 • 5. 



Description. Bill linear, equal in length to the head ; the tip turned down : teeth project- 

 ing below the margin. Nostrils sub-basal, rather small, oblong-oval, pervious. Hind toe 

 small, with a narrow membrane beneath. Tarsus 1'2, somewhat compressed. Tail short, 

 acute, with fourteen pointed feathers. 



Color. Male : Bill bluish black ; feet yellowish ; upper part of the head black ; a 

 crescent-shaped spot of while before the eyes ; hind part of the head, and remainder of neck 

 bluish purple ; base of neck, and upper part of back and wing-coverts minutely barred and 

 spotted with black and brown. Beneath pale chesnut, thickly marked with small round spots; 

 sides of the rump, tips of the greater coverts and long axillaries white ; smaller wing-coverts 

 bright blue ; outer webs of secondaries dark green. Female, general dusky hue, tinged with 

 reddish brown ; lesser wing-coverts blue as in the male ; chin and sides of the base of the 

 bill greyish white. 



Length, 15-0- 16-0. 



The history of the migrations of this species is incomplete. It breeds in Texas, according 

 to Mr. Audubon, and on Long island according to Mr. Giraud. The eggs were found by Mr. 



43* 



