Vo1 ' i92b XViI ] Wetmore, Birds of Lake Burford, N. Mex. 241 



Gadwall fed in the water by tipping, or occasionally came out on shore 

 to walk along and skim the surface of the mud with their bills as do 

 Green-winged Teal. Like the Mallards they usually spent the morning 

 in resting and sleeping in the sun on some open point. 



The call note of the female is a loud quack that is similar to that of the 

 female Mallard but is pitched slightly higher and is not quite so loud and 

 raucous. Considerable experience is required however to distinguish 

 with certainty the calls of the two birds. The male has a loud call like 

 Rack Rack, a deep reedlike note resembling the syllable whack, and a 

 shrill whistled call. 



Females were laying as early as May 29, but no nests were discovered. 



10. Mareca americana (Gmelin). Baldpate. — There were two 

 pairs of Wigeon that were apparently nesting at Lake Burford and single 

 males were seen occasionally. The birds were tame and often allowed a 

 close approach. 



The mating flight of this duck resembles that of the preceding species, 

 but is performed with more dash and speed. The birds fly swiftly and 

 erratically. The males dart ahead of the females, setting and decurving 

 their wings and throwing their heads up, exhibiting their striking mark- 

 ings to the best advantage.. The female calls qua-awk, qua-awk and the 

 males whistle whew whew constantly during this performance. Occasion- 

 ally as a pair swung in low over the water the male darted ahead and, with 

 decurved wings and head thrown up, scaled down to the surface. Two 

 males and a single female invariablly took part in the display flight which 

 began as in the Gadwall by the males approaching the female, bowing 

 and whistling and then following her as she rose in the air. 



The birds were observed swimming in open water or feeding in shallow 

 bays by tipping to reach the bottom. They were seen with other ducks 

 sunning themselves on open points in the mornings. 



11. Nettion carolinense (Gmelin). Green-winged Teal. — Five 

 pairs of Green-winged Teal were found at Lake Burford. These birds 

 were found resting on shore with other ducks or feeding by walking about 

 on mud bars like great sandpipers skimming with their bills over the sur- 

 face. The call note of the males is a musical whistled note resembling 

 pheep to an imitation of which they responded read ly. The females call 

 quack, ka-ack, quack in rather a high tone. Female birds were apparently 

 laying as they were seen in areas of heavy dead grass and rushes, and called 

 anxiously when I examined these, but no nests were found. 



A few drakes that apparently had nested elsewhere appeared on June 1 4, 

 and from then on they accompanied flocks of males of other species of 

 similar habit, resting with them on open beaches and sandy points. 



12. Querquedula discors (Linnaeus). Blue-winged Teal. — A 

 pair of these teal was seen on May 25, and another on June 3. About 

 June 15 they became slightly more common and it was estimated that 

 four pairs were breeding here. Single males appeared on June 11, and 



