126 BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



on the shores of the Dead Sea with the Wild Duck and Pochard. Mr. C. W. 

 Wyatt flushed a couple in Wady Gharandal, in the isthmus of Sinai. 



The Teal is most abundant in Turkey and Asia Minor in the winter. In 

 Asia it is recorded as breeding through Siberia both in the forest belt and tundra 

 up to lat. 70, and also in Kamtchatka. Dr. Finsch found it on the Ala-kul with 

 thoiisands of other water-fowl, and subsequently on the Mara-kul. It is found in 

 summer on the Pamir, where it probably nests ; abundantly also in the plains of 

 the Caucasus ; about Astrakhan ; common near Kandahar ; and breeding in 

 Afghanistan. The Teal is a winter visitor to Japan, the Corea on migration, China, 

 Formosa, Hainan, Burmah, a most abundant species in India as far south as 

 Ceylon, in Persia, and in the vicinity of Aden. 



In the eastern counties of England great numbers of these beautiful little 

 Ducks were formerly taken in decoys, and not being as a rule so wild or of so 

 suspicious a disposition as some of the larger species, its capture was comparatively 

 easy. At the decoy of Ashby, in north Lincolnshire, 44,568 were taken in 

 thirty-five years, and of these as many as 3,279 in the winter of 1852-53. Mr. 

 Southwell (Stevenson's " Birds of Norfolk ") mentions the fact that the famous 

 decoy-man Skelton, took in six consecutive days, in the Winterton decoy, 1,010, 

 and at the same place he took 200 at once in a single pipe. 



On the east coast of England the Teal used formerly to be very regular in 

 its appearance, arriving in small companies from the middle of August through- 

 out September. I have known them in some numbers as early as the second 

 week iii July. These first arrivals may perhaps be referable to home-bred birds, 

 the great body of foreigners coming late in October or early in November. When 

 Teal, and the same remark will apply to Wigeon and Mallard, first come up from 

 the sea they are frequently very rufous on the under parts; our wild- fowl shooters 

 attribute this to the influence of salt water, remarking that in fresh water the 

 stains speedily disappear. It is more probable that the sea has nothing to do 

 with the colour, which is caused by peat-staining, or perhaps the presence of oxide 

 of iron, in the water of their summer quarters. These rufous-stained birds are 

 always in fine condition and to be preferred for the table. 



Air. Haigh says they are chiefly winter visitors to Merionethshire, arriving in 

 November and leaving in March and April. In severe weather large numbers 

 frequent the rivers and any open fresh-water, but very seldom the sea. 



Teal when flushed rise very quickly and fly at a great pace, shooting up 

 perpendicularly into the air and, after reaching a certain height, go off in a direct 

 line as if not intending a return ; in the vast majority of cases, however, they are 

 speedily overhead, passing backwards and forwards over their ground, sometimes 



