THE BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 



A".-: . -. - 



SO many names hare been applied 

 to this dock that much con 

 fusion exists in the minds of 

 many as to which to distinguish 

 it by. A few of them are blue-winged: 

 white-face, or white-faced teal; sum 

 mer teal, and cerctto comma. (Mexico.) 

 It inhabits North America in general, 

 hot chiefly the eastern provinces; north 

 to Alaska, sooth in winter throughout 

 West Indies, Central America, and 

 northern Sooth America as far as Ecua 

 dor. It is accidental in Europe. 



The blue-winged teal is stated to be 

 probably the most numerous of oar 

 smaller docks, and, though by far the 

 larger number occur only during the 

 migrations, individuals may be found 

 at all times of the year under favorable 

 circumstances of locality and weather. 

 The bulk of the species, says Ridgway, 

 winters in the Golf states and sooth- 

 ward, while the breeding-range is diffi 

 cult to make out, owing to die fact that 

 it is not gregarious daring die nesting- 

 season, bat occurs scatteringfy in iso 

 lated localities where it is most likely 

 to escape observation. 



The flight of this dock, according to 

 ".Yit-rr r : i? ::" N:r:- A=r.tr::i. .- 

 folly as swift as that of the passenger 

 pigeon. "When advancing against a 

 stiff breeze it shows alternately its up 

 per and lower surface. Daring its 

 night it otters a soft, lisping note, 

 which it also emits when apprehensive 

 of danger. It swims buoyantly, and 

 when in a flock so closely together that 

 the individuals nearly tooch each other. 

 In consequence of this habit hunters 

 are able to make a frightful havoc 

 among these birds on their first ap 

 pearance in die fall, when they are 

 easily approached. Andobon saw as 

 many as eighty-four killed 

 gle discharge of a 

 gun. 



may readily be kept in confine 

 ment, soon becomes very docile, feeds 

 readily on coarse corn meal, and might 

 easily be domesticated. Prol 

 lein, however, has made several 

 :;5^:^ .1 : : r :r. :: : 5 :; :.if- :r > ^_r>: ry 

 placing its eggs under a domestic hen. 



He inf 



that t 



_ 



latest dock to arrive in the 

 nests on the ground 

 and 



water, but its 

 least half a mile from t 

 though always on low land. 

 is merely 



. -. - _--. -.-- -. 

 and feathers. This dock prefers 



-~~:'~-~ '-'--'.--'- '-'-'. '.:-'-"-. .--- 



i- rii-- ;. -.-. . -_-.-. :- ----- : ------ 



----'- --_- i -^ -. .-LVfr \-^. '^' ^-'- 



always covers her eggs with down, and 

 draws the grass, of which the ontsJclr 

 of the nest is composed, over the top 

 Prot Knmlein does not think that she 

 ever lays more than twelve eggs. " 

 are of a dear ivory white. They] 

 from 1.80 to ugfr inches in length 

 1-2$ to 1.35 in breadth. 



whistles and the 



"quacks. 

 The fo 



::oi :: :it 



vegetable matter, and 

 der and excellent. It 

 its small size, bine 

 bill. 



Mr. Fred Mather, for 



cry of Cold Spring Harbor, 



iri -__-:_--_'. : L~- L '.:.- 

 : i : -: i _ : : : ~ - - "Mi 

 and bine-winged teal, 

 other wild fowL He 

 tion between breeding 

 tion. He does not believe that 

 winged teal can be domesticated as the 

 mallard and black dock can, . e^ to be 

 allowed their liberty to 90 

 ..:- ::---: : : . .:,:> 



a sn- 



The hind toe of this family of 

 is without a flap or lobe, and the front 

 of the loot is furnished with transverse 

 scafcs, which are the two features of 

 these bards which have led scientists to 

 separate them into a distract snb-fuB- 

 ihr. They do not dire for their food. 

 hut nibble at the aquatic plants they 

 live among; or, with head ininir rwrl 

 and tail in air, "probe the bottom of 

 shallowwaters for small moDosks, cms- 

 taceans, and roots of plants." 

 bill acts as a 



