The Heater-fowl of the Pacific Coast 513 



Though this teal will breed in southern Cali- 

 fornia if undisturbed, it loves a higher latitude for 

 nesting and a far lower one for wintering. Far 

 down in Lower California and even in Central 

 America it lives, appearing in considerable num- 

 bers in California only in spring, where it seems 

 to enjoy the bright beams of the mounting sun 

 more than any other bird. While other ducks 

 are paddling, diving, feeding, preening their feath- 

 ers, or looking uneasy at the distant approach 

 of man, this little duck drifts about in sublime 

 peace, often remaining when the other ducks 

 with thumping wings have climbed the sunshine 

 out of danger. In the little coves, where the ripen- 

 ing alfileria fringes the bank and the golden flow- 

 ers of the mustard are pictured in the quiet water, 

 he floats as gently as if life were all a picnic ; and 

 rarely do you catch him feeding, diving, or even 

 flying unless disturbed. When he migrates he 

 goes like the king-rail that glides about the reeds 

 with such silent step, and whose ringing call is so 

 delusive. He vanishes as silently as he came, 

 though he remains till long after the sprigtail has 

 set his forked rudder for the northern sky, and the 

 burnished green of the mallard shines no more on 

 the bright face of the lagoon. But hardly ever 

 do you see him dot the upper sky, come hissing 

 down the northern breeze in autumn, or rise upon 

 you over the horizon like a charge of grape-shot 



