306 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
estuaries, bays, and tidal waters. It is also found during 
winter on expanses of fresh water inland. Although feeding 
on marine insects and crustacea, it is chiefly a vegetable eater, 
living almost entirely upon Zostera marina when on the 
coast. 
In Scotland a good many pairs remain to breed, and 
during summer it frequents high moorlands and inland 
waters. The nest is built in a tuft of rushes or among heather. 
The note is a melodious whistle, which may be expressed as 
‘‘whee you.” 
The male has the head and neck chestnut, with a broad 
buff stripe extending backwards over the crown; back grey, 
uniformly vermiculated ; throat and upper neck chestnut; 
breast white, vermiculated on the flanks; shoulders white; 
speculum green. In the ‘‘eclipse” plumage, the head is dark 
chestnut, grizzled with brown; back brown, with chestnut 
edgings to the feathers ; flanks chestnut; under parts white. 
The female is dark brownish grey above, paler on the wing- 
coverts, and white underneath. Length about 18 in.; wing 
1o°5 in. 
COMMON TEAL 
Anas crecca (Linneus) 
This is the smallest of our native species of Duck, and is 
locally distributed throughout our islands at all times of the year, 
but its numbers are largely augmented in winter by the arrival 
of vast flocks from abroad. It may be found in winter near the 
mouths of rivers and shallow estuaries as well as inland ; its 
food consists of grain, insects, worms, slugs, and molluscs. 
It breeds throughout our islands, but is more numerous in 
the north. The nest is generally placed at some distance from 
water on a dry moorland or grass field. 
The male has the crown, nape, cheeks, and throat chest- 
nut; an elongated patch of purplish green behind the eye, the 
