THE TEAL. 
283 
1. THE COMMON TEAL. NETTION CRECCA 
A?ias crecai, Linn. S. N. i. p. 204 (1766). 
Qiterqtiedula crecm, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 48 (1852); Dresser, B. 
Eur. vi. p). 507, pi. 426 (1871); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 
127 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 387 (1885) ; 
Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p, 545 (1885); I.ilford, Col. Fig. Br. 
B. part viii. (1888) ; Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 419 (1889). 
Nettioti crccca, Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 243 (1895). 
f^Phle LVIIl. Fig. i.) 
Adult Male. — General colour above dusky-grey, with some- 
what coarse vermiculations of ashy-grey ; the scapulars, lower 
back, and rump browner, with darker centres to the feathers 
and scarcely any vermiculations ; the outer scapulars black and 
white, forming a double line of these colours ; the upper tail- 
coverts blackish, with whiter margins ; wing-coverts uniform 
ashy-grey, the greater series broadly tipped with white, the 
inner ones with cinnamon-buff, forming a band along the 
upper edge of the speculum ; the bastard-wing, primary-coverts, 
and quills dusky-grey, the inner webs of the primaries browner ; 
the outer secondaries velvety-black, the inner ones e.'cternally 
metallic-green, or purplish-blue in other lights, followed by a 
line of velvety-black, of which the outer web of some of the 
inner secondaries are composed ; the innermost secondaries 
ashy-brown; tail-feathers ashy-brown; crown of head deep 
cinnamon or chestnut, as also the sides of the face and throat ; 
the chin black, extending in a line at the base of the bill to the 
forehead, which is also blackish ; this is succeeded by a line 
of creamy-buff in a crescent from the base of the bill to the 
eye, and is continued above the latter in a narrow line along 
the side of the crown ; the eye is surrounded by a black band, 
glossed with green or purple, which unites on the nape, and 
is bordered below for some distance by a line of white con- 
tinuous with the line which divides in front of the eye ; lower 
eyelid w'ith a white spot ; under surface of body creamy-white ; 
tire fore-neck and breast more fulvescent, and thickly spotted 
W’ith black ; the sides of the body and flanks vermiculated with 
dusky-grey and blackish ; under tail-covcrts black, the longer 
ones bordered with w’hite, the basal ones white barred with 
dusky; on each side of the vent a patch of creamy-buff, with a 
