The True Ducks. 177 



with my hand, so close did she sit. The 

 stratagems resorted to by this pretty Httle 

 Duck to draw off the attention of the 

 intruder from its brood exhibit a charm- 

 ing display of maternal affection ; the 

 little ones, too, have a marvellous power 

 of concealment. On one occasion I dis- 

 turbed an old Teal which was brooding 

 over a large family : off went the old bird, 

 fluttering away as if in the last agonies 

 of death, and the young scattered in all 

 directions ; but keeping my eye fixed on 

 one particular baby Teal, I saw it squat 

 down a few yards off, its neck stretched 

 out and its little body close to the ground 

 where some dead oak-leaves were lying ; 

 the concealment so perfect that had I not 

 seen it assume the position I should most 

 certainly never have detected it, nor did 

 it stir from the spot till I stooped and 

 took it up in my hand. . . . The note of 

 the male Teal is a clear musical whistle ; 

 the voice of the female, however, although, 

 perhaps, not inharmonious, is decidedly 

 unmusical." 



The nest of the Teal is made of decayed 

 vegetable matter, and is lined with feathers 

 and down. The latter is dark brown, 

 each piece with a whitish base or centre. 

 The eggs are eight or ten in number, 



VOL. II. 12 



