The Blue-winged Teal 



powers of speech, and have thus reduced their titular lords to the most 

 abject state of acquiescence. 



Astonishing accounts continue to come in of the Green-winged Teal 

 as a breeding bird of California. It does not breed in any considerable 

 numbers in the states to northward of us, but the evidence seems to be 

 conclusive that the species does breed with us, and that in widely scat- 

 tered and most unlikely localities. Dr. Evermann's record appears to 

 be the first, and he simply states 1 that a few breed in Ventura County. 

 Mr. E. A. Goldman made the first specific report 2 of a set of seven eggs 

 taken, with the female, July 7th, 1907, on the west shore of Tulare Lake. 

 He found other birds near by and judged that there might be quite a 

 colony of them. Later, Mr. W. N. Dirks 3 found the species breeding 

 commonly on the salt marshes near Alvarado, in Alameda County. 

 Six specific records were made there in the summer of 191 5, and several 

 sets of eggs taken in May hatched out Green-wings at the State Game 

 Farm near Hay ward. 



No. 351 



Blue-winged Teal 



A. O. U. No. 140. Querquedula discors (Linnaeus). 



Description. — Adult male: Forehead and crown (narrowly) and region about 

 base of bill bright blackish; a large white crescent on side of face before eye; rest of 

 head and upper neck warm plumbeous, with metallic, wine-purple reflections (like the 

 plumage of certain doves); fore-neck and entire underparts to crissum, including 

 lengthened feathers of sides (nearly meeting across back when wings are folded) pur- 

 plish vinaceous or purplish chestnut, heaviest on breast, paling laterally, spotted on crop 

 and sides, and barred on breast, belly, and longer flank feathers, with blackish ; upper back 

 and scapulars greenish fuscous, with narrow and elongated V-shaped markings of vina- 

 ceous-cinnamon; inner scapulars and tertiaries, narrow and elongated, greenish dusky, 

 striped with vinaceous-cinnamon; lower back and behind nearly plain dusky; crissum and 

 tail externally blackish; flanks white; wing-coverts and outer webs of outer scapulars and 

 tertiaries a beautiful light grayish blue; speculum shining bronzy green (not so bright 

 as in Nettion carolinense, more "sickly") with dusky on either side, and bordered in 

 front by broad white tips of greater coverts; axillars and lining of wings mostly white. 

 Bill grayish black; feet dingy yellow with dusky webs and claws; iris brown. Adult 

 female {and male in summer): Wing substantially as before, or greater coverts not so 

 extensively white-tipped; no other indication of prime pattern; head, neck, and under- 

 parts dull buffy or pale brownish buff; the first two finely streaked, save on chin and 

 upper throat, the last variously spotted and marked with dusky, lightening on belly; 

 back and scapulars brownish dusky, blackening on longer feathers, narrowly edged with 



■Auk, Vol. III.. Jan. 1886. p. 89. 



2 Condor, Vol. X.. p. 129. 



3 Cal. Fish and Game, Vol. 2, No. 1 .p. 46. 



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