30 WARM-WEATHER BIRDS. 
British America. The third issue hangs around a long 
time, and drifts off to breed within our borders. The 
first issue of the bald-pates in the fall comes down 
with the pintails, most of which are hatched within or 
upon our borders, or as far north as Lake Winnipeg; 
they are not in full plumage then, for it is about the 
end of September or thereabouts. The second issue 
follows early in October, in a rather less scattered con- 
dition, there are less pintails, but more gray ducks are 
to be found with them. The last issue comes down 
after cold weather has occurred in the north, and 
quickly draws close to the frost line. 
Their feeding grounds are in bays, inlets, deep lakes 
and sloughs in the spring; whereas during the fall they 
assemble in shallower water, feeding more upon seeds 
than the bulbs which formed their spring food. Their 
roosting grounds are in quiet places inshore, down 
rice, bays and near smartweed and brush. Their play- 
grounds in the spring are in clear ponds (where their 
greenish heads and white wing bars show in bold re- 
lief), lakes and large sheets of open water. In the fall 
they use open holes in down rice, lily pads, smart- 
weed, rushes, bays and sloughs. 
Their food, see chart. 
Their cry is a whistle, something like the last note 
of a Bartramian sandpiper or field plover. They are 
a shy bird on the coast, but not nearly so in the in- 
terior; easy to kill, but dive with great quickness when 
winged. Their clutch is from six to ten creamy col- 
ored eggs. 
On the seaboard they follow the canvas-backs and 
redheads over the celery beds, stealing what they can 
