INLAND DUCK-SHOOTING. 121 



their "breeding-grounds." On their way north they 

 drop into the large lakes and rivers to feed. These may 

 be classed as the inland deep-water ducks. Their flight 

 is very rapid, and I have no doubt but that they often fly 

 more than ninety miles an hour. 



The pin-tails, American widgeons, small gray ducks, 

 golden-eyes, and broad-bills mix with the mallards, teal, 

 and " deep-water ducks," and may be found in most of 

 the sloughs and " inland waters." 



The beautiful wood-duck is more of a family by itself. 

 Their breeding-grounds may be found, wherever there is 

 timber along a stream, all the way from the South to 

 British America. Their flight is made in pairs, and always 

 at night. It is not rapid, and they do not fly far without 

 dropping down to feed. 



The dusky-duck is seldom found in the West, and is 

 called by Western gunners the "black mallard." Its 

 flight and feed are much the same as the mallards, and 

 when killed in the West is most always found with the 

 mallards. 



The great breeding-grounds for wild ducks are to be 

 found in British America, although many thousands of 

 them breed in the United States. Minnesota, North and 

 South Dakota, Northern Iowa, Northern Illinois, North- 

 ern Indiana, Michigan, and parts of Wisconsin furnish 

 the chief breeding-grounds in the United States, although 

 some wild ducks breed in almost every State. I recollect, 

 when I was a boy, a gentleman found a brood of blue- 

 wing teal within five miles of Boston. I think there 

 were ten of the young ones. Wood-ducks, dusky-ducks, 

 and some others breed in many of the swamps in New 

 England. 



All of the wild ducks that breed are mated when they 

 come north, and they commence work on their nests 

 almost as soon as they arrive at their breeding-grounds. 



