RIVER DUCKS 87 



North Dakota, June 5, 1897, contained nine eggs of a pale 

 bufF color. These measure 2.09 x 1.51, 2.10 x 1.51, 2.08 x 

 1.50, 2.08 x 1.53, 2.15 x 1.50, 2.04 x 1.50, 2.15 x 1.52, 2.10 

 X 150, 2.08 X 1.50. The nest was composed externally, of 

 dried grasses, weed stalks and vegetable mould, well rimmed 

 and shaped internally, and lined with down from the breast of 

 the female. It was situated on the ground among a heavy 

 growth of wild rose bushes near a good sized coulee. It would 

 appear that eight to twelve eggs are laid, the nest being situated 

 on the ground, well concealed among the marsh grass or under 

 bushes near some body of stagnant water. Their call consists 

 of a sort of whistled "whew, whew," which seems to be a note 

 of contentment uttered when they are feeding. Their food is 

 largely vegetable and consists of Vallisneria and the tender 

 stems and roots of other aquatic plants. Like the other river 

 Ducks they feed largely by dipping and dabbling instead of 

 by diving properly. 



Genus NETTION Kaup. 



138. Nettion crecca (Linn.). European Teal. 



Plumage of adult male : differs from the plumage of the male Green- 

 winged Teal as follows ; no white bar on breast in front of bend of wing • 

 undulated black and whitish markings of the sides much coarser ; the other 

 plumages do not seem to be known or studied sufficiently well in this country 

 to differentiate them from the corresponding female and immature plumages 

 of the Green-winged Teal, a reference to the descriptions under which species 

 will give practically the plumages except for slight differences previously 

 noted. 



Geog. Dist. — Northern parts of Old World ; casual in eastern North 

 America, the Aleutian Islands and California ; straggler to Maine. 



County Records. — Cumberland ; an adult male in full plumage was taken 

 in Casco Bay, April 6, 1903, and is now in the collection of Dr. Brock, (Lord) . 



We have only this one record of the species for Maine and 

 the total number for eastern North America is very small. The 

 habits are presumably not greatly different from those of its 

 near relative. Six to fifteen yellowish white eggs are laid. Six 

 were taken at Eyrarbakka, Iceland, July 5, 1890, which are 



