38 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



middle, and brownish-yellow on each side ; speculum bright green, bordered on 

 front with dark reddish-brown of the greater coverts and posteriorly by whitish tips 

 of secondaries. 



Female. Can easily be recognized by the wing, which is like that of male but 

 duller. 



Habitat. North America, breeding chiefly north of the United States, and mi- 

 grating south to Honduras and Cuba. 



Common spring and fall migrant and casual winter visitor. The 

 Green-winged Teal although frequently met with on many of our small 

 creeks and ponds is generally much more plentiful about the principal 

 rivers. Late in August and in September these birds are quite com- 

 mon at Erie bay where many of them are shot for the market. Individ- 

 uals of this species are occasionally captured during the early summer 

 months at Erie bay. Prof. August Kock, of Williamsport, says the 

 Green-winged Teal occurs as a rare breeder in Lycoming county, Pa. 

 The nest is placed on the ground ; the eggs are a light greenish-buff 

 color and measure about If inches long by about 1 J inches broad. The 

 food of these ducks consist principally of seeds of different grasses and 

 weeds ; they also eat different insects, and in a few instances I have 

 found fragments of chestnuts and wild grapes in their stomachs. 



Anas discors LINN. 



Blue-winged Teal. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Bill broader than in Green-winged Teal and about as long as head. 



Adult Male. Bill black ; feet and legs yellowish; iris brown; top of head, chin, 

 and feathers bordering white spaces in front of eyes blackish ; rest of head and upper 

 part of neck dull lead color ; feathers of lower part of neck and foreback spotted 

 with black and margined with white and grayish-brown ; lower part of back and 

 rump dull brown ; crissum black ; sides of tail coverts, more or less glossed with 

 green, white patch on each rump ; wing coverts and outer webs of few scapulars 

 sky-blue ; greater coverts tipped with white ; speculum bright green with narrow 

 white tip behind. 



Female. Chin and throat yellowish-white and unspotted ; head and neck dark 

 colored with grayish and yellow ; upper parts generally dark-brown, feathers edged 

 with grayish ; wings with conspicuous sky-blue patches ; lower parts grayish-white 

 with obscure dusky spots. Length about 16 inches ; extent about 30 inches. 



Habitat. North America in general, but chiefly the eastern province ; north to 

 Alaska and south to the West Indies and northern South America, breeds from the 

 northern United States northward. 



This species, a regular and somewhat common migrant in the spring 

 and fall, is more numerous in this state in September, than at other 

 times during their residence with us. The Blue-winged Teal inhabits 

 mainly muddy ponds, pools and sloughs, where it collects different 

 seeds and other vegetable materials, which constitute its chief bill of 

 fare. 



