98 
BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 
seeds of tlie reeds or wild oats. Their flesh is excellent, and, 
after their residence for a short time among the reeds, becomes 
very fat. As the first frosts come on, they proceed to the 
south, being a delicate bird, very susceptible of cold. They 
abound in the inundated rice fields in the southern states, 
where vast numbers are taken in traps placed on small dry 
eminences that here and there rise above the water. These 
places are strewed with rice, and by the common contrivance 
called a figure four^ they are caught alive in hollow traps. In 
the month of April they pass through Pennsylvania for the 
north, but make little stay at that season. I have observed 
them numerous on the Hudson opposite to the Katskill moun- 
tains. They rarely visit the sea shore. 
This species measures about fourteen inches in length, and 
twenty-two inches in extent ; the bill is long in proportion, 
and of a dark dusky slate ; the front and upper part of the 
head, are black, from the eye to the chin is a large crescent of 
white, the rest of the head and half the neck are of a dark 
slate, richly glossed with green and violet, remainder of the 
neck and breast is black or dusky, thickly marked with semi- 
circles of brownish white, elegantly intersected with each 
other ; belly, pale brown, barred with dusky, in narrow lines ; 
sides and vent, the same tint, spotted with oval marks of dusky ; 
flanks elegantly waved with large semicircles of pale brown ; 
sides of the vent pure white ; under tail-coverts, black ; back, 
deep brownish black, each feather waved with large, semi-ovals 
of brownish white; lesser wing- coverts, a bright light blue ; 
primaries, dusky brown ; secondaries, black ; speculum, or 
beauty spot, rich green ; tertials, edged with black or light 
blue, and streaked down their middle with white ; the tail, 
which is pointed, extends two inches beyond the wings ; legs 
and feet, yellow, the latter very small ; the two crescents of 
white, before the eyes, meet on the throat. 
The female differs in having the head and neck of a dull 
dusky slate, instead of the rich violet of the male, the hind 
head is also whitish. The wavings on the back and lower parts 
more indistinct ; wing nearly the same in both. 
