THE TEAL. 275 



dry ground. We have never found a Teal's nest in 

 the swampy situations in which Coots, Moorhens, 

 and Grebes build. 



A hollow is generally scraped out at the foot of 

 some overhanging bunch of heather, or tussock of 

 dry waving grass, and lined with fine heath -stalks 

 and bents. Here eight or ten creamy- white eggs 

 are laid, and as the hen covers them, she plucks from 

 her breast and sides the soft brown down which 

 underlies her feathers, and places it entirely round 

 the eggs, filling up all the interstices, thus forming 

 a warm bed for the young as soon as they leave the 

 shell. The overhanging roof of grass or heather 

 conceals from above the clutch of white eggs, which 

 would otherwise be espied by the passing Crow, and 

 assuredly be carried off by this thievish bird. 



The old duck is very attentive to her young, 

 leading them from the nest to the marsh, where 

 they paddle about on the soft ground and shallow 

 pools, snapping up flies and beetles with their tiny 

 bills, and varying their meal with the seeds of 

 aquatic plants. They swim and dive well almost 

 as soon as hatched ; but how they contrive to follow 

 their parents through the long heather, and the 



