186 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



swampy meadows in early August, but I should fix 

 the last week of that month as about the average 

 time of their first autumnal visits to us. A few 

 remain till they are frozen out, and we have a small 

 but pretty regular return passage in March. The 

 Teal may roughly be said to breed locally almost all 

 over England, and abundantly in Scotland and 

 Ireland ; the nest is always built on dry ground, 

 sometimes on dry heaths at a considerable distance 

 from water ; but I think that the most favourite place 

 is a dry patch of heathery peat-ground surrounded by 

 channels and pools of water ; the eggs are greenish 

 white, and average from 9 to 12 in number. I have 

 frequently found young Teal unable to fly in the 

 Highlands of Scotland as late as the last week of 

 August, but as a rule they are well able to take care 

 of themselves before the 12th. From its love of thick 

 covert this bird is comparatively easy of approach, 

 and 1 have known several instances in which wild 

 Teal that have dropped in amongst pinioned wild- 

 fowl on a pond have in a few days become as tame as 

 their captive companions and come with them to the 

 whistle of the feeder, although, curiously enough, 1 

 have found that if caught and pinioned they are 

 about the most shy of wild-fowl, and generally remain 

 concealed in any covert that they can find. As these 

 birds come into their nocturnal feeding-places very 

 fast and flying low, they are very difficult to kill at 

 flight-time, but from their habit of sitting and flying 

 close together, very productive shots may sometimes 

 be ' put in ' during the daytime, and I have had some 

 excellent sport with Teal in England, Ireland, and 

 Epirus ; the usual call-note of the Teal is a short, 

 somewhat guttural whistle, but in the pairing-season 



