DUCK. 303 



THE FEMALE. 



Querquedula Virginians, Bris. vi. 455. Id. 8vo. ii. 479. 

 Anas Quacula, Klein, 134. 23. 

 Sarcelle Soucrourette, Buf. ix. 280. PL en/. 403. 

 Blue-winged Teal, Gen. St/n. vi. 503. Cates. Car. i. pi. 99. 



SIZE between a Wigeon and a Teal ; length fifteen inches and 

 a quarter. Bill black; crown the same; base of the bill surrounded 

 with black ; between the bill and eye a white stripe, ending on each 

 side of the chin ; the rest of the head and neck glossy green, chang- 

 ing to violet ; back brown, transversely waved with lines of grey ; 

 lower part of the neck before, breast, and belly, pale rufous, marked 

 with dusky spots; vent black; wing coverts blue; below them a 

 white band ; speculum green ; quills and tail brown ; legs yellow. 



The female is rather smaller. Head and neck brown, mixed 

 with pale grey; back deeper brown, the feathers margined with 

 yellowish buff; breast and sides the same, but paler; belly and vent 

 pale yellowish brown ; scapulars dusky black ; wing coverts pale 

 blue; speculum green; between the two a narrow bar of white ; 

 quills and tail dusky; legs dusky yellow. 



This is an American Species,* but is rarely found more north- 

 ward than New York. Catesby observes, that they come into 

 Carolina in August, and feed on the rice, remaining there till 

 October ; and when the rice fails, attack the wild oats ; chiefly 

 frequent the ponds and fresh waters. The flesh is accounted deli- 

 cious, and the bird, for the most part, very fat. It is met with also 

 at Cayenne and Guiana. Mr. Abbot says, that the adult male is 

 very rare in Georgia, and that in general these birds are more fre- 

 quent in ponds, late in the spring. I observe in one drawing, sent 

 from this Gentleman, that the back and sides of the neck are waved 

 with small lines, as in the American Teal. 



* The American Shell-drake and Blue-wing exceed all of the Duck kind, and these 

 are in prodigious numbers.— Bzirnab. Trav. p. 16. 



