THE BLUE^WINGED TEAL. 



{Anas discors.) 



SO many names have been applied 

 to this duck that much con- 

 fusion exists in the minds of 

 many as to which to distinguish 

 it by. A few of them are blue-winged; 

 white-face, or white-faced teal; sum- 

 mer teal, and cerceta comun (Mexico.) 

 It inhabits North America in general, 

 but chiefly the eastern provinces; north 

 to Alaska, south in winter throughout 

 West Indies, Central America, and 

 northern South America as far as Ecua- 

 dor. It is accidental in Europe, 



The blue-winged teal is stated to be 

 probably the most numerous of our 

 smaller ducks, and, though by far the 

 larger number occur only during the 

 migrations, individuals may be found 

 at all times of the year under favorable 

 circumstances of locality and weather. 

 The bulk of the species, says Ridgway, 

 winters in the Gulf states and south- 

 ward, while the breeding-range is dififl- 

 cult to make out, owing to the fact that 

 it is not gregarious during the nesting- 

 season, but occurs scatteringly in iso- 

 lated localities where it is most likely 

 to escape observation. 



The flight of this duck, according to 

 "Water Birds of North America," is 

 fully as swift as that of the passenger 

 pigeon. "When advancing against a 

 stiff breeze it shows alternately its up- 

 per and lower surface. During its 

 flight it utters a soft, lisping note, 

 which it also emits when apprehensive 

 of danger. It swims buoyantly, and 

 when in a flock so closely together that 

 the individuals nearly touch each other. 

 In consequence of this habit hunters 

 are able to make a frightful havoc 

 among these birds on their first ap- 

 pearance in the fall, when they are 

 easily approached. Audubon saw as 

 many as eighty-four killed by. a sin- 

 gle discharge of a double-barreled 

 gun. 



"It may readily be kept in confine- 

 ment, soon becomes very docile, feeds 

 readily on coarse corn meal, and might 

 easily be domesticated. Prof. Kum- 

 lein, however, has made several unsuc- 

 cessful attempts to raise this duck by 

 placing its eggs under a domestic hen. 



He informs me that this species is the 

 latest duck to arrive in the spring." It 

 nests on the ground among the reeds 

 and coarse herbage, generally near the 

 water, but its nest has been met with at 

 least half a mile from the nearest water, 

 though always on low land. The nest 

 is merely an accumulation of reeds and 

 rushes lined in the middle with down 

 and feathers. This duck prefers the 

 dryer marshes near streams. The nests 

 are generally well lined with down, and 

 when the female leaves the nest she 

 always covers her eggs with down, and 

 draws the grass, of which the outside 

 of the nest is composed, over the top. 

 Prof. Kumlein does not think that she 

 ever lays more than twelve eggs. These 

 are of a clear ivory white. They range 

 from 1. 80 to 1.95 inches in length and 

 1.25 to 1.35 in breadth. 



The male whistles and the female 

 "quacks." 



The food of the blue-wing is chiefly 

 vegetable matter, and its flesh is ten- 

 der and excellent. It may be known by 

 its small size, blue wings, and narrow 

 bill. 



Mr. Fred Mather, for many years 

 superintendent of the State Fish Hatch- 

 ery of Cold Spring Harbor, Long Isl- 

 and, domesticated the mallard and 

 black duck, bred wood ducks, green 

 and blue-winged teal, pin-tails, and 

 other wild fowl. He made a distinc- 

 tion between breeding and domestica- 

 tion. He does not believe that blue- 

 winged teal can be domesticated as the 

 mallard and black duck can, i. e., to be 

 allowed their liberty to go and come 

 like domestic ducks. 



The hind toe of this family of ducks 

 is without a flap or lobe, and the front 

 of the foot is furnished with transverse 

 scales, which are the two features of 

 these birds which have led scientists to 

 separate them into a distinct sub-fam- 

 ily. They do not dive for their food, 

 but nibble at the aquatic plants they 

 live among; or, with head immersed 

 and tail in air, "probe the bottom of 

 shallow waters for small mollusks, crus- 

 taceans, and roots of plants." The 

 bill acts as a sieve. 



