215 



TEAL. 



COMMOX TEAL. 



Anas erecca, ..... LrswiEUS. 



Qaerqiiedula erecca, ..... Stephens. 

 Canard SarceUe d' Miter, . . . Tehihs:ck. 



Anas — A Duck. Crecca — From Mreko — To make a harsh, creaking noise. 



TTho that has wandered during the autumnal and winter months, alonsr the banks of 

 almost any of our quiet little country streams, particularly if moderately wooded, has 

 not heen gratified by seeing the hasty flight of this, our smallest, Duck. It flies, however. 

 but a short distance, and again plashes down suddenly into some quiet little pool, again 

 to be disturbed by the approaching footstep. The Teal is very generally distributed 

 over the whole country, preferring inland lakes and rivers, to the vicinity of the sea- 

 shore, though in some suitable localities they are to be met with in large flocks on the 

 salt water. Thus, Mr. Thompson says, that small flocks of forty or fifty usually appear 

 in Belfast Bay, from August to November, when they retire inland; and if the frost is 

 so severe as to freeze over the inland waters, they again appeal' in the Bay in Januarv 

 and February, often in flocks of four or five hundred. Of late years, however, they 

 have greatly diminished in numbers. Large flocks of Teal migrate to this country 

 in autumn, and depart in the spring to more northern latitudes. Many, however, remain 

 to breed with us in secluded lakes and marshy places, in various parts of the country, 

 from the extreme north of Scotland to the south coast of England. Sir TV. Jardine is 

 of opinion that in Scotland no foreign bred Teal join the native ones in the winter; he 

 says, 'Tn these parts of our islands, no general migration takes place; the bird is a 

 constant resident, breeds in the vicinity of its haunts, and partially leaves them only 

 in very dry or severe weather; and we do not think that there is any accession of 

 numbers at any season from more distant localities." 



They are abundant over the whole of Europe and Asia, but the American Teal, long 

 thought to be identical, is now considered to be a distinct species. 



