266 Where to Hunt 



resume their journey toward a warmer clime. A few 

 blue-winged teal breed in the marshes around Lake 

 Champlain, but the majority of those that are shot are 

 flight-duck. Their numbers are less and less every sea- 

 son. Green-winged teal are rarer. Pin-tail duck breed 

 in small numbers in the larger marshes of Lake Cham- 

 plain, and leave for southern waters early in September. 

 They are decreasing in numbers. 



Blue-bill arrive in November from their far northern 

 breeding-grounds. They come in readily to decoys, 

 and give good sport to the shooter who has a blind out 

 on the open waters of the lake. Broad-bill are often 

 found with the common blue bill. The breeding- 

 grounds and habits of these two birds are similar. 

 Spoonbill duck or shoveller are rare. Redhead arrive 

 in November, occasionally the last of October. They 

 come to decoys readily. Their numbers are rapidly 

 decreasing. Whistlers, which arc scarce, arrive about 

 November, and also make several weeks' stay early in 

 the spring. Barrow's goldeneye arc occasionally found. 

 Butterball arrive the last of September, and frequent all 

 the lakes and rivers. Ruddy duck are not common in 

 Lake Champlain. They are migratory. Sheldrake are 

 found until the ice forms on all the ponds and rivers of 

 any size. They arrive again the middle of April, on 

 their way to their northern breeding-grounds. They 

 are decreasing. Red-breasted sheldrake are migratory, 

 and quite common in the lake and in the mouths of the 

 rivers that flow into it, late in the fall and early in the 

 spring. They are decreasing in numbers. Hooded 

 merganser are rare. Widgeon are occasionally found 

 along with the late fall duck. Gadwall are occasionally 



