28 



BIRD NAMES. [Xo. 10. 



early writers, the AMERICAN TEAL * and LEAST GREEN-WINGED 

 TEALf 



At Bath, Me. (to the older gunners at least), MUD TEAL; at 

 Moriches, Long Island, WINTER TEAL (see No. 31) ; at More- 

 head N. C., RED-HEADED TEAL. No other name for the species 

 is recognized in latter locality, so far as I can discover (1884), 

 and this is certainly a more distinctive appellation than that of 

 " Green-wing." Audubon says : " Its general name, however, is 

 the ' Green-wing ;' and a poor name in my opinion it is, for the 

 bird has not more green on its wings than several other species 

 have." And he adds : " Very many birds are strangely named, 

 not less in pure Latin, than in English, French, and Dutch." 



* Latham. f Bartram. 



