118 BULLETIN 12G, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



of their wings glistens lilce polished steel, so as to give them the most lively appear- 

 ance, and while they are wheeling over the places in which they intend to alight, 

 their wings being alternately thrown in the shade and exposed to the bright light, the 

 glowing and varied luster thus produced, at whatever distance they may be, draws 

 your eyes involuntarily toward tliem. When advancing against a stiff breeze, they 

 alternately show their upper and lower surfaces, and you are struck by the vivid steel 

 blue of their mantle, which resembles the dancing light of a piece of glass suddenly 

 reflected on a distant object. I have never observed them traveling in company 

 with other ducks, but I have seen them at times passing over the sea at a considerable 

 distance from land. Before alighting, and almost under any circumstances, and in 

 any locality, these teals pass and repass several times over the place, as if to assure 

 themselves of tlie absence of danger, or, should there be cause of apprehension, to 

 watch until it is over. They swim buoyantly, and generally in a close body, at times 

 nearly touching each other. 



Nuttall (1834) says that ''when they ahght," they "drop down 

 suddenly among the reeds in ttie manner of the snipe or woodcock." 



About the vocal powers of this teal there is very little to be said. 

 Dawson (1903) has covered the ground very well in the following 

 words : 



In addition to the whistling of the wings, the teals have a soft lisping note, only 

 remotely related to the typical anatidine quack, and is uttered either in apprehension 

 or encouragement. 



While feeding and at other times these teal arc usually silent; the 

 lisping or pecj)ing of the male are more often heard when the birds 

 are in flight than at other times and are probably used as signals, as 

 to dangers or the presence of food. The female has a faint quacking 

 note. 



On their breeding grounds blue-winged teal are associated with 

 various other species, notably shovellers, pintails, gadwalls, and mal- 

 lards. On their migrations they usually fly in flocks by themselves, 

 but often resort to the same feeding grounds as other surface-feeding 

 ducks. Doctor Yorke (1899) says: 



They mix a great deal with the coots, eagerly devouring the seeds of the teal moss, 

 whicli the former by diving tear up by the roots, and the long sprays covered with 

 seeds float upon the surface of the water. 



In Florida and Louisiana they seem to associate with the larger 

 shore birds, feeding with tliem in the shallow lagoons. They are 

 always gentle and harmless towards other species. Their only ene- 

 mies are the predatory birds and animals, among which the human 

 hunter is most destructive. 



Fall. — As soon as the young are able to fly, or even before that, 

 they begin gathering into flocks preparing for the fall migration, 

 which begins with the first early frosts in August and is mainly ac- 

 complished during September, for these delicate birds are very 

 sensitive to the approach of autumn and are the earliest ducks to 



