QUEEQUEDULA.— SPATULA. 217 



2. Querquedula cyanoptera. 



Anas cyanoptera, Vieill. N. Diet, d'Hist. Nat. v. p, 104' ; Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. 



p. 174'; Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. N. H. v. p. 33 ' ; A. O. U. Check-1. N. Amer. Birds, 



2nd ed. p. 51 *. 

 Querquedula cyanoptera, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 311'; Duges, La Nat. i. p. 143°; Lawr. Mem. 



Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 314'; Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 234'; Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. 



Water-Birds N. Amer. i. p. 534'; Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 303 ". 



Capite, coUo et corpore subtus to to castaneis ; subcaudalibus nigris ; pileo nigricante ; intersoapulio summo et 

 scapularibus superioribus castaneis, nigro maculatis ; dorso medio nigro, castaueo circulariter fasciato ; 

 dorso imo, uropj-gio et supraeaudalibus nigricanti-brunneis, plumis singulis griseo marginatis ; 

 scapularibus longioribus nigris, rhachidibus rufescenti-fulvis, duabus extimis pallide cinerascenti- 

 cyaneis ; tectrioibus alarum quoque cinerascenti-cyaneis ; tectricibus primariorum remigibusque saturate 

 brunneis, secundariis anguste albo terminatis ; speoulo alari metallioe viridi ; secundariis intimis externe 

 nigris, rhachidibus pallidis; tectricibus majoribus cinerascenti-nigris, albo late terminatis, tasciam 

 conspicuam formantibus ; subalaribus minoribus cyanescenti-griseis, majoribus et axillaribus albis ; 

 rectricibus saturate brunneis, lateralibus extus pallide rutb mixtis : rostro nigro ; pedibus flavis ; iride 

 saturate brunnea. Long, tota circa 18'0, alse 7"9, caudee 3'5, culm. 1"9, tarsi 1"25. (Descr. maris adulti 

 ex Brownsville, Texas. Mus. nostr.) 

 5 feminse Q. discordis similis, sed notseo dilutiore brunneo, marginibus arenariis magis distinctis ; gastraeo 

 brunneo vel rufescenti-fulvo olarius tinctis. Long, tota circa 16-0, alse 7'3, caudae 3'4, culm. 1-85, 

 tarsi 1"25. (Descr. feminse adultae ex Presidio. Mus. nostr.) 



Juv, feminse adultse similis, sed gastrsei maculis angustioribus, magis striatiformibus. 



Ilai. Western North America, from Britisli Colombia southward ; east to the Rocky 

 Mountains and Southern Texas ; casual in. the Mississippi Valley and Florida ^. — 

 Mexico, rivers and lagoons of both coasts (Sumwhrast^), San Diego, Sonora 

 (Bohinette '^), Mazatlan (Graysow^), Presidio (jPorrer ^°), Guanajuato, Guadalajara 

 {Duges^), Laguna de Chapulco, Puebla (Ferrari-Perez^), Yexs, Cymz [Salle ^). — 

 Paraguay 10; Argentina ^^ ; Chile i''; Patagonia i"; Falkland Is i*^. 



Q. cyanoptera differs from Q. discors in the uniform chestuut colour of the head, neck, 

 and under surface of the body. It is almost exclusively a western species in North 

 America, and though rather common atMazatlan during the winter and spring months, 

 is never seen in large numbers ^. This Teal has been recorded from various localities 

 in Mexico, but is not known to visit any other part of Central America, while in 

 South America the species has a widely extended range, apparently breeding in many 

 parts of that continent. 



The Cinnamon Teal associates with the Blue-winged Teal in flocks, and the habits 

 of the two species are similar. The nest is placed in marshy ground, usually near 

 ponds or still water ; it is made of coarse grass and lined with down. The eggs are 

 from twelve to fourteen in number, and are of an ivory-white colour with a deep 

 creamy tinge ^. 



SPATULA. 



Spatula, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 564 ; Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 308 (1895), 



The Shovelers are distinguished from all other Ducks by the peculiar shape of their 

 BIOL. CBNTR.-AMER., Aves, Vol. III., January 1902. 28 



