GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 137 



tier of States, and in some localities seems to prefer the 

 neighborhood of small streams to the larger bodies of 

 water equally available. Occasionally very large broods 

 are seen, whether the product of one female or from two 

 having used the same nest it was impossible to deter- 

 mine, but Hearne states that at Hudson Bay he had 

 seen the parents swimming at the head of seventeen 

 young, and that the latter were not bigger than wal- 

 nuts. No wonder that the species is able to keep up 

 its numbers fairly well, even against the immense ad- 

 verse interests that hasten its destruction, when it can 

 claim among its members such patriotic and prolific par- 

 ents as those above mentioned. 



The Green-winged Teal is a fresh-water bird, and al- 

 though it visits the sea-coast, it keeps to the marshes and 

 tidal creeks and rivers. The flocks swim closely to- 

 gether,, rarely scattering about much even when feeding 

 (at least that is the way they generally acted when I ob- 

 served them), and were very quick in all their move- 

 ments, sitting, if not alarmed, rather high on the water. 

 It is an expert diver and can remain beneath the sur- 

 face for a considerable time. It rises with a sudden 

 spring and is at once in full flight, and it requires 

 a marksman with a steady eye and hand to make a suc- 

 cessful shot at one of these birds on the wing. It 

 passes southward from its northern breeding grounds 

 in October, being somewhat later in its migration than 

 its near relative, the Blue-winged Teal, and visits the 

 ponds, small lakes, and streams, feeding on insects and 

 various leaves and grasses. In the South it visits the 

 rice-fields, and keeps company with Mallards and other 

 large Ducks found in such places. Like all Water Fowl, 

 this Teal feeds much at night, particularly if the moon 

 is shining, but if in localities where it is not much dis- 



