GREEN-WIXGED TEAL. 163 



CHAPTER XV. 



GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 



(Anas Crecca.^) 



The Green-winged Teal are very similar to the Blue- 

 winged Teal in their habits, but they are more hardy. 

 They come later in the fall, and stay until the weather 

 is very cold. Their cry is a peculiar one, being a 

 shrill whistle, which can be heard a long distance 

 through the calm woods. They are found along the 

 mud banks of the rivers, resting quietly on the shelter- 

 ed shore of a secluded cove, protected from the wind, 

 and where they can enjoy the warm sunshine. I have 

 often gone along the shore where overhanging willows 

 afford excellent blinds, and in my boat slowly drifting 

 or sculled along, have had splendid shooting, jumping 

 them out in pairs from the driftwood along the shores, 

 or as they flew from the grass at the water's edge. 

 They are hardy little fellows and tenacious of life, 

 being expert divers when wounded. 



These birds often afford great pleasure to the young 

 hunter, as they are the means of largely swelling the 

 number of ducks killed in a given day. He finds an 

 enclosed pond, where stillness reigns supreme, guided 

 to the spot by the whistling cries of the birds. He 

 crawls to the pond, and in the shallow water sees their 

 little russet bodies moving along closely together, or 

 with sleepy mien passing the time away, half waking and 

 indolently blinking their eyes. The youthful Nimrod 

 restrains as best he can his growing excitement, rest- 



