WARM-WEATHER BIRDS. 19 
teals, gadwall or grey ducks, woodducks, spoonbills 
and baldpates, of which the bluewinged and cinnamon 
teals arrive the last in the spring and the first at the 
fali migration, with one exception; they are preceded 
in the fall by the first or local issue of woodducks. 
GENUS Azx. 
Aix Sponsa, Wooppuck, SUMMERDUCK.—Habitat. 
—North America at large, to West India Islands; 
especially abundant in the vicinity of our large rivers, 
their tributaries and all timber-clad streams north 
to the British Possessions. The spring migration of 
this, our handsomest duck, unapproached by any save 
the hooded merganser and buffie-head, appears above 
the frost line after the ice has disappeared from our 
lakes and timbered sloughs. They arrive in three dis- 
tinct issues, after sunset and through the night, sud- 
denly appearing in the morning upon their accus- 
tomed haunts. The first stays but a brief period, and 
departs for the north to breed; the second puts in an 
appearance a few days later, but soon leaves to nest 
in the northern parts of the United States; the third 
arrives directly after the second leaves and scatters 
over the middle states to nest. This issue forms the 
local ducks of each state it breeds in. The first fall 
issue consists of these local ducks, which migrate dur- 
ing the early part of the month of September. The 
second comes down from the northern states about the 
end of September, while the last comes down in the 
early part of October. The second and third do not 
stay nearly so long as the first issue, which is the 
largest and collects in quantities on favorite grounds. 
