43 2 Hijlory ^ANIMALS, 
This is frequent with us in the fen countries, and is taken in the decoys with tfa# 
common wild-duck, but it is not fo much valued as the common widgeon. Oar peo¬ 
ple diflinguifh it by the name of the Pochard, but it is often fold under the name of 
the widgeon. Moft of the writers on birds have mentioned it. Gefner calls it Anas 
fera fufca vel media ; others, fimply, Anas fera fufca j but this confounds it with 
another fpecies. 
Anas macula alarum viridi, linea alba fupra oculos . 
Toe Anas, with a green fpot on the wings, and a 0 &tpgn£V. 
white line over the eyes. 
• 
This is about the bignefs of the common teal, and in many particulars it greatly re- 
fembles it: the head is fmall, and, though not deprefled, is much lefs prominent or 
rounded than in any other of the fpecies : the eyes are fmall ; the beak is oblong, flat¬ 
ted, fomewhat broad and black, ferrated at the edges, and obtufe and rounded at the 
end : the top of the head is black, and there is a white line on each flde, running 
from the eyes quite down to the neck, and reaching to it’s middle : the throat is black j 
the bread is variegated in an undulatory manner, with black and grey ; the back is of 
a very Angular colour, a deep brown, with a tinge of purple thrown over it: the 
leathers which cover the thighs are alfo variegated with black and white. 
The wings are long, and the principal feathers of them are variegated with a deep 
brown, and a kind of moufe colour, and fome of them alfo with white; the more 
elegant ones have a part of their anterior furface of a bright and beautiful green, and 
that forms the elegant fpot on the wing: the tail is fhort, and is compofed of four¬ 
teen feathers; they are brown, and the outer ones variegated with whitilh-browa 
fpots. 
The female of this fpecies is very like the male, but has lefs variety In the colour¬ 
ing, and is known at fight by the want of the black throat of the male. 
This fpecies is frequent in our fen countries, and is much efteemed at table. The 
authors who have written on birds have almofl: all defcribed it. Aldrovand calls k 
Querquedula prima ; and mod of the others have called it by the fame name, or elfe, 
by as little expreffive a one, Querquedula altera. 
Anas macula alarum viridi, linea alba fupra infraque 
oculos . 
dhe Anas, with a green fpot on the wing, and a white 
line both above and below the eyes . 
This is the (mailed of all the duck-kind, but it is a very elegant and valuable bird; 
the head is fmall, and not remarkably rounded or prominent; the eyes are large, and 
their iris is of a Angular colour, a hazel, approaching to whitifh : the beak is fhort, but 
it is broad, obtufe, and a little turned up at the end; the edges are ferrated all round, 
and the colour of the whole beak is black : the noflrils are confpicuous, and of an 
oval figure : the head is of a reddifh-brown, as are alfo the throat, and the whole up¬ 
per part of the neck: from the eyes there runs each way, to the hinder part of the 
head, a beautiful broad line, of a fine filky glofs, and of a dulky green colour; and 
between thefe, on the under part of the back of the head, there is a black fpot: un¬ 
der the eyes, on each fide, there runs a very bright fireak or oblong fpot of white, 
feparating the green from the general brown colour of the head : the lower part of 
the neck, as alfo the back and the fides, under covert of the wings, are all of a beau¬ 
tifully variegated hue, every feather being particoloured, and the lines tranfverfe and 
undulated, partly black, partly white: the lower and anterior part of the neck is, in 
fome birds of this fpecies, of a y'ellowifh hue, fpotted with black, but this is not the 
cafe in all: the break is of a dingy white, or grey, as is alfo the belly, only paler, or 
nearer 
