92 GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 



the neck is of a dark slate richly glossed with green and violet, remain- 

 der of the neck and breast is black or dusky, thickly marked with semi- 

 circles of brownish white, elegantly intersecting each other ; belly pale 

 brown, barred with dusky, in narrow lines ; sides and vent the same tint, 

 spotted with oval marks of dusky ; flanks elegantly waved with large 

 semicircles of pale brown ; sides of the vent pure white ; under tail-coverts 

 black ; back deep brownish black, each feather waved with large semi- 

 ovals of brownish white ; lesser wing-coverts a bright light blue ; prima- 

 ries dusky brown ; secondaries black ; speculum or beauty spot, rich 

 green ; tertials edged with black or light blue, and streaked down their 

 middle with white ; the tail, which is pointed, extends two inches beyond 

 the wings ; legs and feet yellow, the latter very small ; the two cres- 

 cents of white before the eyes meet on the throat. 



The female difi"ers in having the head and neck of a dull dusky slate 

 instead of the rich violet of the male, the hind head is also whitish. 

 The wavings on the back and lower parts more indistinct ; wing nearly 

 the same in both. 



Species XII. ANAS CRECCA. 



GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 



[Plate LXX. Fig, 4, Male.] 

 Lath. Syn. m., p. 554.— Bewick's Br. Birds, ii., p. 338.* 



The naturalists of Europe have designated this little Duck by the 

 name of the American Teal, as being a species difi"erent from their own. 

 On an examination, however, of the figure and description of the Euro- 

 pean Teal by the ingenious and accurate Bewick, and comparing them 

 with the present, no difference whatever appears in the length, extent, 

 color, or markings of either, but what commonly occurs among indi- 

 viduals of any other tribe ; both undoubtedly belong to one and the 

 same species. 



This, like the preceding, is a fresh-water Duck, common in our mar- 

 kets in autumn and winter ; but rarely seen here in summer. It fre- 

 quents ponds, marshes, and the reedy shores of creeks and rivers. Is 



* Anas crecca, Gmel. Sysi. r., p. 532, No.23.— ^jtos CaroUnensis, Id. p. 533, No. 

 103.-Ind. Orn. p. 872, No. 100; p. 874, No. lOl.-Common Teal, Gen. Syn. in., 

 p. 551, No. 88.— American Teal, Id. p. 554, No. 90.— European Teal, Arci. Zool. ii., 

 p. 305, P. 4to. American Teal, Id. No. 504. Br. Zool. No. 290.-io petite Sarcelle, 

 Briss. I., p. 436, No. 32, pi. 40, fig. 1.-Buff. ix., p. 265, pi. 17, n.-Pl. Enl.^il. 

 Temh. Man. d' Orn. p. 846. 



