AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 373 



GREEN/WINGED TEAL, 



A. O. U. No. 139. (Anas carolinen8is.> 



RANGE. 



Found throughout North America, and breeds from the boundary of 

 the United States northwards. In winter they migrate south of the 

 borders of the United States. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 14 in.; extent 23 in.; tail 3 in. Eye, brown; bill, black; feet 

 grayish. Head and the upper part of the neck, a rich chestnut; a black 

 patch on the chin; a broad metallic green band back of the eye, shading 

 into black and surrounding the eye, and margined below with a narrow 

 line of white. Upper parts waved with fine black and white bars. 

 Under parts buffy white, changing to a deep buff on the breast which is 

 plentifully spotted with black. A white crescent in front of the wing. 

 Primaries and wing coverts gray; speculum green on the inner half and 

 velvety black on the outer, bordered in front with the chestnut tips of 

 the coverts and edged behind with the white tips of the secondaries. 

 Rump and tail coverts blackish, mottled with gray; the black extends 

 below forming a band in front of the lower tail coverts, which are 

 white below and rich cream color on the sides. Female — Upper parts 

 light brownish streaked on the head and neck with dark brown and the 

 feathers on the back having dark centers. Under parts white tinged 

 with bufify on the neck and breast, and spotted with dark brown. Wings 

 about the same as on the male. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



Breeds from the northern border of the United States to Alaska and 

 Greenland. The nest is placed on the ground in a clump of grass, in 

 swampy places along the borders of streams or ponds. . It is made of 

 grass and weeds and lined with feathers from the breast of the bird. 

 They lay from five to eight eggs of a plain buffy color. 



HABITS. 

 Green-winged Teal are a close second to the Wood Duck in point of 

 beauty. According to sportsmen they have other good points besides 



