508 



spot, and throat, clear buff; rest of the under surface of the body whitish, thickly mottled with brown 

 and rufous on the upper breast and flanks, more thinly spotted with brown on the abdomen. Total 

 length 12 - 5 inches, culmen T4, wing 6'8, tail 3'0, tarsus 08. 



With the exception, perhaps, of the Mallard (A. boschas), the present species has the most 

 extended range of any European Duck, being commonly distributed over the entire Palsearctic 

 Region, and even extending into North America. Here its range coalesces with that of the 

 very closely allied Querqiiedula carolinensis, which is so similar in appearance that Professor 

 Schlegel does not recognize any specific difference ; but we think that the authors of the ' Birds 

 of North America ' have given sufficient characters by which the two species may be identified. 

 In America our Common Teal is only found accidentally on the eastern coast, and, according to 

 Professors Reinhardt and Holboell, has been occasionally obtained in Greenland. In Iceland it 

 is very common, and, as stated by Faber, arrives in the third week in April, departing about the 

 beginning of October. It is distributed over Great Britain, and is found at all seasons of the 

 year. According to Yarrell it is not numerous in Orkney or Shetland. Mr. A. G. More says 

 " It has been found breeding even in the south of England. It is, however, more numerous in 

 the north, and is described as breeding annually in nearly all the districts of Scotland." Mr. 

 Thompson says that " in Ireland it is common round the coast and on inland waters, and is to 

 a considerable extent indigenous." Mr. Harry Blake-Knox also tells us that he believes it 

 breeds in many parts of Ireland. 



In Scandinavia Nilsson states that it is very widely distributed, and is found during the 

 breeding-season both in Southern Skane and also in Norway and Lapland, on low land as well as 

 on the mountains and fells, in these latter high up into the willow-region. Collett says it is 

 common in the province of Christiania, where it breeds in the early part of May. Kjaerbolling 

 says it arrives in Denmark in March or April, and does not leave until compelled to do so by the 

 frost. In Lapland Sommerfeldt found it during summer at the Varanger Fjord; and Dresser 

 met with it abundantly in Northern Finland and on the Lapland frontier, where it was nesting. 

 In Northern Russia it breeds, and is abundant in summer at Archangel and along the Dwina. 

 Throughout the whole of Germany it is common, and is found in many parts during the year. 

 In Belgium De Selys Longchamps says that it is particularly common in the late autumn or the 

 beginning of spring. In France, where it is called the " Winter Teal," it is very abundant during 

 the winter, a few remaining there to breed. In Spain Machado and Guirao record it as found 

 during winter; but our friend Major Irby writes to us that it is very common in that country, 

 and, he believes, resident. In Portugal it likewise occurs. Mr. Vernon Harcourt records it from 

 Madeira ; and Mr. Godman says that in the Azores it is common, and a few individuals breed at 

 Flores, but it is not quite so plentiful as the Mallard. Dr. Bolle found it on Teneriffe, and says 

 it is sometimes common in the winter in the Canaries. 



In Algeria, according to Loche, it is very abundant, particularly during the winter. Mr. 

 C. A. Wright says that in Malta it is not uncommon in spring, and from November to March. 

 They sometimes also appear during the strong north-west winds which prevail in June. In 

 Sicily, Malherbe states, it appears in winter in great numbers. Count Salvadori has sent us the 

 following note : — 



