WATER BIRDS. 83 
Some of the earlier lists gave it as nesting, but this probably is a mistake. 
It is known to breed throughout most of northern British America, even 
to the Arctic Circle, but the southernmost point where it now nests abund- 
antly seems to be the Devil’s Lake region of North Dakota. According 
to A. C. Bent (Auk, XVIII, 335-36) it is a late breeder there, very few 
eggs being found before June 1. On June 15 he found twelve nests in a 
single half hour. All were placed on dry ground, in slight hollows, lined 
with grasses, weeds and an abundance of gray down, with which the eggs 
are completely covered when the mother leaves the nest. The eggs are 
from eight to twelve and vary from almost white to deep cream color. 
They average 2.06 by 1.48 inches. 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Adult male in full plumage with the forehead and crown pure white or creamy white, 
the sides of the head above and back of the eye glossy green, this color extending to and 
including the nape. Ordinarily both the white of the crown and the green of the head 
are more or less ae and streaked, the former with black, the latter with white. The 
remainder of the head and neck is gray due to rather coarse spotting and streaking with 
black on the white ground color. The upper breast and sides are pinkish-brown (‘‘ vinace- 
ous”) without streaks or spots, but the feathers often with ashy edgings. Lower breast 
and belly pure white; under tail-coverts velvet black in sharp contrast. Back, scapulars 
and rump finely barred (vermiculated) with black and slate or buff, some of the scapulars 
with black shaft streaks. The speculum shows a narrow green area surrounded by dull 
black, with a large white patch in front. The shoulders (lesser wing-coverts) are pale 
ashy-brown; the tertiaries lanceolate, much lengthened, the outer webs glossy black 
margined with pure white. The female is difficult to describe, but may commonly be 
recognized by the combination of a finely streaked head and neck with pinkish-brown 
breast and sides and the lanceolate, streaked tertiaries. She does not ordinarily show 
any trace of green about the head, or of pure white on forehead and crown. 
Length 18 to 22 inches, wing 10.25 to 11, culmen 1.30 to 1.50. 
38. Green-winged Teal. Nettion carolinense ((imel.). (139) 
Synonyms: Green-wing, Winter Teal, Red-headed Teal——Anas carolinensis, Gmel., 
A i a carolinensis, Steph., 1824—Nettion carolinensis of most recent 
authors. 
The bright cinnamon head with a large metallic green patch on each 
side is characteristic of the adult male. In any plumage the small size 
separates it from everything but the Blue-winged Teal, and the absence 
of the pale blue shoulder excludes that. , 
Distribution.—North America, breeding chiefly north of the United 
States, and migrating south to Honduras and Cuba. 
The Green-winged Teal at present is not a common bird in any part of 
the state. It occurs sparingly in early spring (March 15 to April. 30), 
and lingers in the fall at least until ice begins to form (Nov. 20 to Dec. 15). 
We have little reason to believe that it nests within our limits now, although 
it probably did so sparingly in years gone by. Major Boies records it as 
nesting.on Neebish Island between 1892 and 1894. Its normal breeding 
grounds are well to the north of Michigan. The nest is placed on the 
ground, not necessarily close to water, and the eggs vary in number from 
eight to eighteen. They are white or buffy white, and average 1.75 by 
1.28 inches. : 
Except while nesting the birds are commonly seen in compact flocks, 
often of large size. They feed freely on seeds, grasses and other vegetable 
matter, but also eat insects and other animal food. Where they have 
