293 



and in having the scapulars plain, whereas our European Teal has the long scapulars black 

 externally and creamy white internally, and lacks the white on the side of the body in front 

 of the wing. 



The Blue-winged Teal, Querquedula discors (Linn.), has only once been obtained in Great 

 Britain. Mr. Saunders states that " in the ' Naturalist,' viii. (1858) p. 168, Mr. W. C. Gibson, 

 writing from Dumfries, says, without naming any month, ' a specimen of the Blue-winged Teal 

 (Anas discors) was shot here a few weeks ago.' This bird, erroneously stated by the late 

 Mr. R. Gray to have been killed in January 1863, afterwards passed into the collection of 

 Sir William Jardine, and has recently been acquired by the Edinburgh Museum ; it is a male, 

 and undoubtedly genuine." According to Mr. Olof Winge, an adult male was shot near Saby, 

 in Denmark, about the middle of April 1886. 



The Blue-winged Teal is about equal in size to the Garganey, but is easily distinguishable 

 from that species. The male has the head deep lead-grey with a purplish gloss, a large white 

 black-edged crescent in front of the eye, the fore part of the back varied with brownish black 

 and yellowish brown, the lower back and rump dark brown tinged with green ; wing-coverts and 

 outer webs of some of the scapulars deep sky-blue ; speculum rich green, set between the white 

 tips of the larger coverts and secondaries. The female is dark brown above, the feathers with 

 pale edges, and whitish grey below, and retains the sky-blue on the wing-coverts and most of 

 the wing-markings as in the male, and may thus be readily distinguished from the female 

 Garganey. 



The specimen of the American Wigeon figured is the male above described, and is in my 

 own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined, besides the series in the British 

 Museum, the following specimens: — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, g ad. Dueiias (O. Salvin). b, $ . British Columbia {Whitdy). 



E Mus. H. B. Tristram, 

 a, cf . N. America, 1847; b, J 1 . Duenas, Guatemala, 1862 (0. Salvin). 



