■ Anseres 153 



Its foreign range is wide and extends over northern 

 JEurope, Asia, and America, but it is difficult to lay 

 down any precise limits, as a few pairs seem to nest 

 regularly in south Europe. The food consists of 

 herbage, insects, and moUusks, but, as the Pintail resorts 

 to mud flats, estuaries, or even the sea in winter, its 

 diet varies somewhat according to circumstances. It 

 is a quiet bird which quacks little, and is said on good 

 authority to have a whistling note as well. Eggs are 

 not found much before the end of May j they are long 

 in shape and greyish green in colour. The nest is 

 substantial and is generally built near the water. 



The Teal {Querquedula crecca) is our smallest duck 

 and is plentiful as a migrant in winter, while in summer 

 nests may be found from Shetland to the south of 

 England in suitable places. They are buUt among 

 heather or rough grass, nearly always at some dis-, 

 tance from the water, and therefore are not likely to^ 

 be found except on moors or uncultivated country. 

 Little ponds, such as suffice for the Mallard, are of no 

 use to the Teal, though its food is similar. The small 

 eggs are cream-coloured with a greenish tinge. The 

 foreign range extends over all Europe and temperate 

 Asia, short of the Arctic Circle, but the bird is chiefly 

 a northehi species. The drake's beautiful colours must 

 be seen to be appreciated ; here it must suffice to say 

 that the back is prettily marked with black and white 

 tod the breast spotted with black on a buff ground, 

 while the head is chestnut varied with buff and metallic 

 green, and the wing-bar purplish and grpen. This wing- 

 ba;r serves to distinguish the female from other brown 

 ducks. 

 , , The Garganey, or Summer Teal {Q. querquedula), only 



