232 BIRDS OF MIDDLESEX. 



date April 29th, I find the following entry in my 

 note-book : — 



" While observing a Snipe which continued to fly 

 round me, ' drumming,' my attention was diverted 

 b}^ the peculiar chirping of some young chicks, and, 

 looking along the narrow and shallow stream, which 

 ran into the pond on my left, I saw on my right 

 several young Teal, only a few days old, actively 

 swimming towards me. As soon as the}^ caught 

 sight of me, instead of retreating to the flags on 

 either side of the stream to hide, they instantly 

 dived, and, the water being clear, although with a 

 muddy bottom, I could easily see them shooting 

 along, with outstretched necks, looking more like 

 fish than birds. Thinking to catch one, I held my 

 umbrella over the water, prepared to strike, when, 

 although so much above me, they seemed to perceive 

 my movements, and turned rapidly, continuing their 

 dive. 



*' By a quick stroke, however, I held one to the 

 bottom with my umbrella in one hand, while I seized 

 the little fellow by the legs with the other. The 

 rest, meantime, escaped. My little captive appeared 

 to be only three or four days old, and was wonder- 

 fully active and noisy. His description was as 

 follows : * — 



* I depart, in this case, from my rule of abstaining from 

 particular descriptions ; firstly, because young Teal are dif- 



