104 BULLETIN 126, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Nesting. — The green-winged teal is widely distributed during the 

 nesting season, but throughout much of its breeding range, especially 

 the eastern part of it, is only sparingly represented. We found a few 

 scattering pairs in the Magdalen Islands, where it was undoubtedly 

 breeding. Maynard (1896) found a nest here and gives the following 

 good account of it : 



On the southern side oi Amherst Island, one of the Magdalen group, are several 

 ealt-water ponds which were formerly lagoons, but which the shifting sand of the 

 beaches have cut off from the water of the gulf. These miniature lakes are surrounded 

 by a thick growtli of trees, composed mainly of spruce and hemlock, which have been 

 BO dwarfed by the severe climate that they rarely attain the height of 10 feet. I 

 was making my way along the border of one of these ponds, on the 16th of June, in 

 company with my friend, Mr. Oilman Brown, when a female green-winged teal rose 

 within a yard of our feet, and stepping forward, we discovered a nest containing eight 

 greenish eggs which were placed in a depression of the sandy soil on a few twigs, and 

 surrounded with a ring of gray down, thus presenting a very pretty appearance. The 

 spot was concealed by the overhanging branches of a little spruce, and had the bird 

 remained quiet, we should have passed without discovering her treasures. The 

 female was quite shy, and after circling about a few times disappeared. 



Although the breeding range of the green-winged teal extends much 

 farther north than that of the blue-winged teal, its center of abun- 

 dance in the nesting season is in the vast prairie regions of the North- 

 ern States and western Canada. In both North Dakota and Saskatch- 

 ewan we found a few pairs breeding with the other ducks in these 

 great wild-fowl nurseries. Here the nests are usually concealed in 

 the long gi'ass near the borders of the lakes and sloughs or on the 

 islands. The nest is generally well made in a hollow on dry ground 

 and often at a considerable distance from the water. The hollow is 

 first deeply lined with soft grasses and weeds, sometimes with a few 

 fine twigs and leaves, on which is placed a thin layer of down from 

 the bird's breast; more down is added as incubation advances, which, 

 mixed with the loose dry grass, forms a convenient blanket to conceal 

 and protect the eggs when the mother teal leaves them. Often the 

 nests are placed in clumps of willows or under bushes on high land, 

 a quarter of a mile or more from any water and occasionally a nest 

 is found under a log. 



Mr. R. C. McGregor (190G) records a nest found in the Krenitzin 

 Islands, Alaska, which " was on the ground beneath the overhanging 

 trunk of a twisted willow; it was thinly furnished with down about 

 the top and the eggs rested on the ground. Inside diameter of nest 

 about 5.5 inches; depth 3.5 inches." Henshaw (1875) reports a nest 

 found in southern Colorado as follows: 



A nest belonging to this species was found under a sagebush, perhaps 30 feet from 

 the water's edge. A deep hollow had been scooped in the sand, and lined warmly 

 with fine grasses and down, evidently taken from the bird's own breast, which was 

 plucked nearly bare. Tlie lien bird was sitting; in fact, so artfully was the nest 



