2 21 GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
ANAS CRECCA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 204—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 8 7 2 .—
. Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 3 8 6 .
ANAS CRECCA, var. AMERICAN TEAL, Swains, and Richards, Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 4 4 3 .
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, ANAS CRECCA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 1 0 1 . pi. 70.
fig. 4.
AMERICAN TEAL, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 4 0 0 .
Adult Male. Plate CCXXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill almost as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, depressed
towards the end, its breadth nearly equal in its whole length,
being however a little enlarged towards the rounded tip. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line at first sloping, then concave, towards the ends
nearly straight, the ridge broad and flat at the base, then broadly convex,
the sides convex, the edges soft, with about fifty-five lamellae. Nostrils
subbasal, near the ridge, rather small, elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible
flattish, with the angle very long and rather narrow, the dorsal line
very short, straight, the sides perpendicular with about 130 lamellae.
Head of moderate size, compressed. Neck of moderate length, rather
slender. Body full, depressed. Wings rather small. Feet short, placed
rather far back; tarsus short, compressed, at its lower part anteriorly with
two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated angular scales.
Toes scutellate above ; first toe very small, free, with a narrow membrane
beneath ; third longest; fourth a little shorter; the anterior toes united
by reticulated webs, of which the outer is deeply sinuate; claws small,
curved, compressed, acute, the hind one smaller and more curved, that of
the third toe largest, and with an inner sharp edge.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the middle of the head
and upper part of hind neck, very narrow, elongated, with soft filamentous
disunited bands, of the rest of the head and upper part of neck veryshort,
of the back and lower parts in general broad and rounded. Wings
of moderate length, narrow, acute; primaries strong, curved, tapering,
second longest, first scarcely shorter; secondaries broad, rather pointed,
the inner elongated and tapering, as are the scapulars. Tail short, round
ed and acuminate, of sixteen acuminate feathers.
Bill black. Iris brown. Feet light bluish-grey. Head and upper
part of the neck chestnut-brown; a broad band, narrowing backwards,
from the eye down the back of the neck, deep shining green, edged with
GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 225
black below, under which is a white line, which before the eye meets another
that curves forward and downward to the angle of the mouth; chin
brownish-black, as are the feathers at the base of the upper mandible.
Upper parts and flanks beautifully undulated, with narrow brownish-black
and white bars; anterior to the wings is a short broad transverse band of
white. Wings brownish-grey; the speculum in its lower half velvetblack,
the upper bright green, changing to purple, and edged above with
black, behind margined with white, before with reddish-white. Tail
brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler; the upper coverts brownish
black, edged with light yellowish-grey. Lower part of neck anteriorly
barred as behind; breast yellowish-white, spotted with black, its lower
part white ; abdomen white, faintly barred with grey; a patch of black
under the tail, the lateral tail-coverts cream coloured, the larger black,
with broad white margins and tips.
Length to end of tail 14)f inches, to end of claws 15£; extent of
wings 24; wing from flexure 7£ ; tail 3£; bill along the back 1 T
7
2 , along
the edge of lower mandible l ^ ; tarsus 1^%; middle toe l T
6 j , its claw ^ .
Weight 10 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXVIII. Fig. %
The Female wants the elongated crest, and differs greatly in colouring.
The head and neck are streaked with dark brown and light red, the fore
neck whitish ; the upper parts mottled with dark brown, the anterior feathers
barred, the posterior margined with yellowish-white. The wings are
nearly as in the male, but the green of the speculum is less extensive ; the
lower part of the fore neck is tinged with yellowish-red, and mottled with
dark brown, as are the sides; the rest of the lower parts white.
Length to end of tail 1 3 | ; to end of claws 1£ ; extent of wings
Weight 10 oz.
The differences between the American and European specimens are so
small that I can find no good reason for considering the birds of the two
continents distinct. The American Teal has a white band before the
wing, which the European bird has not, while the latter has the greater
part of the outer webs of most of the scapulars white, there being none
of that colour on those of our bird. The proportions and size are similar ;
and if the two birds are really distinct species, I do not know upon what
circumstances specific distinctions are to be founded.
VOL. III. p