The Grey Ducks. 163 



surface for twenty yards or so, then 

 pitched and commenced swimming away, 

 so that I was able to kill one on the water 

 and the other as it rose, from where I 

 stood. Of course birds that have been 

 shot at a bit go clean away at the first 

 alarm. On these creeks they associate 

 with the common ' Whistling Teal/ and I 

 have watched the two species in close 

 company on the water, though the ' Oceanic 

 Teal ' separate from the others when put 

 up. The only thing I noticed about 

 them, which I do not think has been 

 recorded, is that they have a * quacking ' 

 note as well as a low whistle. One day 

 a party of eight or ten, at which some 

 shots had been fired, after wheeling 

 round and round overhead for some 

 time, pitched on a narrow channel, within 

 thirty yards of me, as I stood concealed 

 in the bushes on the bank. I watched 

 them for some minutes, when another 

 pair, frightened by some distant shots, 

 came scurrying over : the birds on the 

 water all twisted their heads up and set 

 up a loud rapid quacking call-note which 

 they kept up for some minutes ; the new- 

 comers circled round several times, but 

 probably seeing the top of my topee^ con- 

 cluded not to join their companions in 



