55*
Wild Ducks, in winter; but whether it breeds here, like them, has
efcaped our notice. In France it flays throughout the year, and
makes a neft in April among the rußes, on the edges of ponds j
it is compofed of the tendered: ftalks of them, with the addition
of the pith, and a quantity of feathers. The neft is of a large
lize, and placed in the water, fo as to rile and fall with it. The
eggs are the fize of thofe of a Pigeon, of a dirty white, marked
with fmall hazel fpots *, Is faid to feed on thegrajs and v/eeds
which grow on the edges of the ponds which it frequents, as well
• as the feeds of the rußes s it will alfo eat fmall fiß f . The flelh
is accounted excellent. It is found to the north as high as Iceland
; and is mentioned as inhabiting the Cafpian Sea to the fouth.
We make no doubt that it alfo extends to China, as we have feen
a figure of it among fome fine drawings of the birds of that
part of the world.
go. Anas circia, Lift» Syß. i. p. 204. 34%—Faun* Suec. 130.—-Scop, Ann. i.
SUMMER T . N° 76.— Brun. Orn. N° 83.
La Sarcelle d’Ete, Brif Orn. vi. p. 445. 33.-—Buß. Oif. ix. p. 268.
Summer Teal, Rati Syn. p. 148.7.— Will. Orn. p. 378. pi. ‘]6.— Albini ii.
pi. 103. 104.
D escription. r J ' H I S is faid to-be fmaller than the Common Heal: length thirteen
inches and a half. Bill dufky: the upper parts, from the
forehead to rump, greyilh brown, margined with white on the
hack : over each eye a white ftreak : cheeks and throat chefnut:
fore part of the neck rufous, margined with brown ; under parts
* The Garganey and Teal are both faid to lay fix or feven eggs, in a hole hollowed
out by the bird.— Dec. Rujf. i, p. 102,
* Hiß. des Oif,
or
of the body rufous white, fpotted with black on the belly: fca-
pulars like the back ; the larger ones white down the middle :
wing coverts cinereous: acrofs the wing a white ftreak: quills
brown: the fpeculum green, edged with black, bounded below
with white : tail brown: legs blueilh.
The female is lefs. The upper parts cinereous brown: the
back edged with rufous: cheeks, throat, and under parts, rufous
white : a white line over the eyes, as in the male: fcapulars and
wing coverts grey brown, edged with rufous: the reft of the
wing much as in the male-, but no black in the fpeculum.
This, though fo fully defcribed, is by many efteerried a doubtful
fpecies; and with great probability fuppofed the female of the
common Teal. We think it however worth while to preferve the
ufual fynonyms of the bird in queftion, as fome guide to the re-
fearches of future fyftematifts. Among others, Buffon is dubious
of its being a diftinift fpecies ; yet gives a formal account of its
remaining throughout the fummer, and breeding in France; and
tells us that this bird comes there the beginning of March, when
they diftribute themfelves on the coaft. About April they get
together a quantity of rufhe-s and grafs, and make a covered neft,
the opening for the moft part to the fouth; in this they lay from
ten to fourteen eggs, of a dirty white, and as big as thofe of a
Pullet; and fit from twenty to twenty-three days. This author
obferves likewife, that the male lofes the plumage of diftinftion
after the time of incubation is over, becoming fo like the female
as not to be diftinguifhed from her, but regains it after January.
He adds alfo, that this bird cannot bear the cold, and does not
frequent the northern countries *.
* Hiß. its Oif.
4 B an
Female.
Place and
Manners.
VOL. I l l , Americ,