216 ANATID^. 



fuscis; ala sicut in mari adulto colorata, sed speculo Bordide aeneo-viridi; secundariis intimis et scapu- 

 laribus brunneis, vix rbacliidem pallidam exhibentibus. Long, tofca circa 15-0, alae 7-4, caudse 3-1, 

 culm. 1-65, tarsi 1-2. (Descr. feminse adultae ex Presidio. Mus. nostr.) 

 Juv. feminffi adulte simiUs, sed abdomine baud maculate, et speculo alari sordide cineraacenti-brnnneo, 

 minime metallico distinguenda. 



Hah. North Ameeica in general, but chiefly eastward; north to Alaska, south to 

 Lower California; casual in California; breeding from Kansas and Southern 

 Illinois northward i2._Mexico {Beppe & Schiede^^, Wagler^), Cachuta, Sonora 

 {BobineUe^^), Tampico {Bichardson^% Ciudad in Durango, Presidio de Mazatlan 

 (Forrer^^), Mazatlan {Grayson '^% Guannjuato, Guadalajara {Luges ^^), Valley of 

 Mexico {Uerrera\ Sumichrast^'^}, Laguna de Chapulco, Puebla {Ferrari-Perez % 

 Jalapa, Vera Cruz {Salle i^ is), Oaxaca {Boiicard i*), Progreso, Yucatan {Stone & 

 Baker % Cozumel 1. 1^, Mugeres 1.29 {Gaumer); British Honduras, Belize 

 {Leyland^^); Guatemala {Gonstancia^^), Acapam^s, Cohan 29, Duenas, Santana 

 Mixtani^29 (^q^ s.) ; Honduras, Omoa {Leyland^^ Lake of Yojoa, Tigre I., 

 Bay of Fonseca {Taylor ^^) ; Nicaragua, San Juan del Sur 26, Sucuya 27 {Nutting), 

 Eio Escondido {Bichmond'^^) ; Costa Eica, San Jose {Zeledon^, Cherrie^, 

 Calleja 22 29), Cartago {Zeledon % San Antonio {v. Frantzius ^i) ; Panam.^, Laguna 

 del Castillo (^rce 20 29),_Colombia 29 ; Ecuador 29; Peru 29; Trinidad 28; West 

 Indies 29. 



The Blue-winged Teal breeds throughout the greater part of the United States, and as 

 high as 60° N. lat. It is met with on the coast of Alaska and in Vancouver Island, but 

 is unknown on the Pacific coast between the latter locality and the Gulf of California 27. 

 The species is a winter visitor to Mexico and Central America. Grayson found it 

 common in the neighbourhood of Mazatlan, and the bird probably breeds there, as 

 a few remain throughout the summer. Leyland states that Q. discors breeds near 

 Omoa in the Republic of Honduras, arriving in October with the periodical northerly 

 winds in flocks of from two to three hundred, and retiring to the rivers as the 

 swamps dry up ; but it is principally known as a winter visitor. In Guatemala we 

 found the species abundant on the Lake of Duenas, where it arrives in September 

 and leaves in March or April ; birds were met with both in high and low districts, 

 though chiefly on the lake. 



This Teal is one of the first of the northern Ducks to reach its winter home, and it 

 amves in the United States in September, the same month in which the bird is first 

 seen in Guatemala. The food is similar to that of ordinary freshwater Ducks ; but 

 in the Southern United States the species frequents the rice- and corn-fields, and after 

 feeding in these places becomes very fat and is esteemed as a delicacy for the table. 

 The nest is placed on the ground among reeds and coarse herbage, generally near the 

 water ; it consists of a few reeds and rushes, lined with down and feathers. The eggs 

 are from eight to twelve in number, and are of a clear ivory-white colour 28. 



