WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 269 



TJie Green Winged Teal is smaller than the previous variety, and 

 among other dtSerences in color has the wings and back of the 

 neck marked with deep bright green. This bird remains later in 

 the season than the blue teal, but while it remains it associates 

 ■with the latter, feeding and flying promiscuously with them. 



The Pintail Duck is a bird of about 3 pounds weight, and 

 measures full-grown 29 inches from bill to end of tail. The female 

 is smaller and lighter than the male. In color this duck is greenish 

 brown on the head, throat, and upper part of the neck; part of 

 the neck is barred with brownish black and a yellowish white. The 

 spots on the wings are coppery red with green reflections. On each 

 side of the neck is a white band, and the upper parts in general are 

 whitish. 



The Sprigtail is the most handsomely formed of the whole duck 

 tribe, and abounds in all parts of the country except in the New 

 England Stales. Its food consists of the small acorns of the pin 

 oak, the seeds of smartweed, cockle-burr, wild oats, and com, and 

 beech-nuts. This species is found in immense numbers at the 

 opening of spring, occupying the overflowed fields and prairies, 

 and feeding upon the drifting masses of grass seeds, com, and 

 waste grain. They soon become fat and in fine condition, and 

 offer the best of sport, flying closely and irregularly, and are thus 

 easily killed ; several often dropping at one shot. Decoys are not 

 used for hunting them. When wounded, and on land, they are diffi- 

 cult to retrieve without a good dog, as they can run rapidly and 

 are apt to crouch and hide very closely, and so escape observation. 



The Wood Duck is the most beautifully feathered of all the wild 

 fowl, and are common to all parts of the Union except the sea- 

 coast. Their nesting places are in stumps and hollow trees, whence 

 they derive their name. They never dive for food, and are gener- 

 ally found about old musk-rat houses, logs, and banks, on the 

 edges of patches of reeds. In the middle of the day they may 

 nearly always be found in these spots sunning themselves and 

 trimming their feathers. They are in season in August and Sep- 

 tember. 



The American Widgeon is abundant in the waters of some of the 



