THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
with grey; the outermost of the long inner secondaries (the 5th) with the 
outer web grey instead of brownish; the axillaries pure white. Total 
length about 18 inches; bill 1*4 inch; wing 9*5 inches; tail 3*8 inches; 
tarsus 1*5 inch. 
General distribution. — This North American species breeds from Alaska 
eastwards to Hudson’s Bay, and southwards to Utah, Colorado, and Wis- 
consin, migrating south in winter to Mexico, Central America and the 
West Indies. It has also been obtained in the Hawaiian Islands. 
Distribution in the British Isles. — ^To the British Isles it is a very rare strag- 
gler, and there are only one or two authentic records of its occurrence. It 
has also been obtained in France, the Azores (a male, Sete Cidades, San 
Miguel) and on Bering Island. Its reported breeding in Iceland is ex- 
tremely doubtful. 
It is said to nest on high, dry ground among trees and bushes, some 
distance from water. The eggs, from seven to ten in number, are like 
those of the wigeon. 
COMMON TEAL 
QUERQUEDULA CRECCA 
(Plate XXVIII, Fig. 8) 
Querquedula crecca, Gould, Birds Europe, v, pi. 362 (1837) ; Dresser, Birds Europe, vi, 
p. 507, pi. 426 (1871) ; Hume & Marshall, Game-Birds Ind., iii, p. 205, pi. 27 (1880). 
Nettion crecca, Salvador!, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvii, p. 243 (1895) ; Saunders, III. Man. 
Brit. Birds, p. 431 (1899) ; Millais, Surface-feeding Ducks, p. 79, pis. xxxi-xxxv (1902). 
Anas crecca, Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. Birds, part viii, pi. (1888). 
DULT male. — Head and neck chestnut, a metallic green and 
purple band down each side of the head between the 
/ ^ eye and the nape, which is velvety-black; a narrow 
i % buff line commencing behind the gape passes upwards 
i above the eye ; chin blackish ; back, inner scapulars, 
sides and flanks black, with narrow wavy white bars ; 
outer scapulars buff, edged on the outer web with black ; lower back, 
rump, upper tail-coverts and tail dark ashy-brown, the two last named 
with light margins ; breast and belly white, the former with round black 
spots; under tail -coverts black, the lateral ones buff with a band of black 
338 
