GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 



A BEAUTIFUL bird, the American Green-winged 

 Teal has a very extended distribution in North 

 America, and ranges from the Arctic Sea across the en- 

 tire Continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, 

 and south to Honduras, in Central America, and to Cuba. 

 It breeds as far south as Colorado, but goes mostly north 

 of the LTnited States for the purpose of incubation, and 

 is very common in summer in Alaska and among the 

 islands of the Aleutian chain, and also on the eastern 

 portions of the continent, in the valley of the Saskatche- 

 wan, the Mackenzie River district, and about Hudson 

 Bay. It makes its nest in tall grass or in clumps of 

 dried grass and feathers, and lays from eight to a dozen 

 ivory white eggs. Incubation commences the last of 

 May, and the young are hatched by July. This species 

 goes in large flocks, and flies with great swiftness, at 

 times keeping a straight course, as though its destina- 

 tion was unalterably fixed in its mind and it intended 

 to reach it by the shortest possible route, and again 

 it will be irregular and vacillating in its movements, 

 changing its course frequently and dodging about with 

 as much eccentricity of action as that exhibited by a 

 butterfly in a strong breeze. But whatever may be its 

 movements, its flight is always rapid, and its small body 

 proves to be an exceedingly dii^cult mark to hit. 



Although usually breeding north of the boundary be- 

 tween the United States and Canada, it has been known 

 to nest in Wisconsin, Iowa, and others of the northern 



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