A3IERICAN TEAL. 401 



the Hudson's Bay Museum, a specimen from the fur coun- 

 tries agreeing in all respects with the European species. 

 Our variety is abundant to the extremity of the continent, 

 both in the woody and barren districts of the remote fur 

 countries of Hudson's Bay. It is also plentiful about Sev- 

 ern river, in the woods and plains near fresh waters, where 

 it breeds, the young being about 6 or 7 at a hatch. It feeds 

 much upon fresh-water insects, seeds, and aquatic plants, 

 and when fat is delicate food. In the autumn and winter it 

 is very common throughout the waters of the United States, 

 both in the interior and contiguous to the sea coast. In the 

 course of the winter they retire as far south as Jamaica, 

 and are probably common also along the coasts of the Mexi- 

 can Gulf It frequents ponds, marshes, the reedy shores of 

 creeks and rivers, and in winter is very abundant in the 

 rice plantations of the South. They usually fly in small 

 parties, feeding mostly by night; associating with the Mal- 

 lard, and are commonly decoyed by its call. 



The Teal is found in the north of Europe as far as 

 Greenland and Iceland, and it also inhabits the borders of 

 the Caspian to the south. In France and England it is said 

 to breed. They are commonly seen on the pools, in close 

 companies of ten or twelve together, frequenting the rivers 

 and unfrozen springs in winter, where they subsist on 

 aquatic plants. They fly very swiftly, and utter a sort of 

 whistling cry. The Teal breeds in the fens, continuing in 

 the temperate parts of Europe the whole year. It conceals 

 its nest among the bulrushes, constructing it of their stalks, 

 and lining it with feathers ; it rests also sometimes on the 

 surface of the water, so as to rise and fall with the flood. 

 The eggs are about 10 or 12, of a soiled white, indistinctly 

 marked with brown spots. The female takes the whole 

 management of incubation ; the males, at this time, seem 

 to leave them and associate by themselves in companies, 

 34* 



