FALCATED TEAL. 115 



PALMIPEDES. 

 Family ANATIDJE. (Bonaparte.) 



Genus Anas. {Linnoeus.') 



FALCATED TEAL. 



Anas falcata. 



Anas falcata, Pallas. Latham. 



" " MiDDENDORFF. SCHRENCK, 



" drepanopterus, Messerschmidt. Brandt. 



Querquedula falcata, Bonaparte. 



Specific Characters. — Male. — Top of the head and cheeks a rich metallic 

 brown; sides of the head and nape metallic green; the feathers of both 

 these regions being prolonged at the nape, so as to form a crest of brown 

 and green ; a black collar romid the pure white neck. Five or six of the 

 scapularies on each side very long and strong, and extending in a falcated 

 or sickle-shaped form over the wing. Length (male) nineteen inches, 

 carpus to tip ten inches; longest sickle-shaped scapular feather eight inches ; 

 beak from rictus two inches; breadth at base five eighths of an inch; 

 tarsus one inch and a half; middle toe and claw two inches. 



This very beautiful Duck is an Asiatic species, inhabiting Siberia 

 and Amoor Land in considerable numbers. Its title to a place in tbe 

 European list rests upon its accidental appearance in Sweden, Hun- 

 gary, and Germany. The Prince of Canino records a fine male 

 specimen as having been captured in the neighbourhood of Vienna, 

 and he gives Hungary as its European locality in the "Conspectus 

 Avium Europsearum." Mr. A. Newton is my authority for its occur- 

 rence in Sweden. 



As an accidental and extremely rare visitor only can this elegant 

 bird be admitted into the European avi-fauna. Its real home is in 



