46 NOTES ON THE 



between the treeless banks. They are, as a general thing, 

 several days later in their spring arrivals, and as much earlier 

 than the Green -wings in autumn. This is not true in every 

 migration, for I have once or twice known them to come a lit- 

 tle before the other, and several times simultaneously; but in 

 my observations extending over many years in succession, it 

 has proved a noticable characteristic in its migrations. They 

 are seldom seen on the large clear lakes; but on small ponds, 

 mud flats, and sluggish streams where various pond weeds 

 and aquatic roots afford, in abundance its favorite vegetable 

 food. Nesting late in May and early in June, they rear only 

 one brood so far as I have been able to ascertain. The struc- 

 ture is uniformly of grasses, lined quite liberally with down 

 from the female's own breast and is more commonly placed on 

 dry ground at least a hundred yards from the nearest water. 

 It is best found by carefully distinguishing the obscure path at 

 the water's edge, and tracing it to its unsuspectedly remote 

 seclusion. The search may prove the path to have been the 

 beaten runway of the muskrat to some other pond, but may 

 afterwards be distinquished by its having been so much more 

 frequented and soiled. 



The eggs are of the same general color as the Green-winged 

 Teals, namely, a dull, dingy, cream- white, and are a little 

 smaller in size, and about ten in number. Like the other 

 species they fly in very compact flocks of a dozen or less, and 

 at a terrific speed, only excelled by one other amongst all the 

 ducks known. Tenderest of all, they retire southward earliest 

 in the autumn, so that sometimes all have left the country by 

 the 25th of October, or first of November. They are found 

 breeding in every part of the State in different seasons. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Head and neck above plumbeous gray; top of head, black; 

 a white crescent in front of the eye; under parts from middle 

 of neck, purplish- gray, each feather with spots of black, which 

 become more obsolete behind; fore part of back with the feath- 

 ers brown, with two undulating narrow bands of purplish-gray; 

 feathers on the flanks, banded with dai^k-brown and purplish- 

 gray; back behind and tail, greenish-brown; crissum, black; wing 

 coverts and some of the outer webs of the scapulars, blue; 

 other scapulars, velvet-black, or green streaked with pale 

 reddish-buff; speculum, glossy-green; outer greater wing cov- 

 erts, white, as are the axillaries, middle of under surface of wing, 

 and a patch on each side of the base of the tail; bill, black; 

 feet, flesh-colored; iris, dark-hazel. 



