ANATINiE — THE DUCKS — QUERQUEDULA. 



533 



but found none on the Yukon, nor north of Shave Lake. In Illinois and Wisconsin 

 he found it nesting in the prairie sloughs. Mr. Dall, however, speaks of having met 

 with it sparingly botli at Fort Yukon and at the mouth of Yukon Kiver, but it was 

 not seen at Jiulato. Captain Smith obtained its eggs from near Cajje Komanzoff. Mr. 

 Bannister reports it as not uncommon at St. ^lichael's. 



It is a visitor to Cuba and other West India Islands. Leotaud states that it 

 arrives in Trinidad about the 1st of November, and remains there until April. It 

 is qiute regular and constant in its visits — with, however, occasional intermissions. 

 It is miu'h sought after by epicures, and in the opinion of Leotaud, the flesh of no 

 othei- Duck can b(; compared with that of this Teal after it has been one or two 

 months on tint island. 



It breeds in the neighborhood of Calais, Me. — as Mr. Boardman informs rae — but is 

 not common tlu-re. It is a regular fall and spring visitor in Massachusetts, but I am 

 not aware that it stops to breed. At Fort I'ond, near Montauk Point, Long Island, 

 it is said to breed every season. 



In the fall of the year this is one of the first of the Duck tribe to leave its more 

 northern (piarters. Subsisting chieily on insects and tender i)lants, it is compelled 

 to seek a milder climate early, and usually arrives in the Middle States in the month 

 of Septendn'r, selecting for its abode the small streams and mill-ponds, where an 

 abundant supply of its favorite food is fouiul. In a shbrt time, however, it leaves 

 for more southern regions. It is the first Duck, in the fall, to visit the shores of 

 the Delaware and the Chesapeake bays, where it begins to arrive in Septend)er, 

 and remains until driven farther south by the ai))»roach of winter, being found in 

 winter only where the weather is mild. It is not timid, being easily approached in 

 a boat or under cover of any simple device. Large numbers are killed among the 

 reeds, on the Delaware, by means of what are termed " stool Ducks," set out in the 

 mud. The birds are more readily attracted by these decoys if they are set in the 

 mud than if placed in the water. 



This Duck is fond of the seeds of wild oats, and becomes very fat after feeding on 

 them for a short time, and it is caught in great numbers in the Southern rice-fields 

 by means of traps set by the negroes. It flies with great rapidity and considerable 

 noise ; and is said at times to drop suddenly among the reeds in the manner of the 

 Woodcock. 



Although Dr. Newberry mentions this species in his Report as a bird of California, 

 Dr. Cooper is confident that he is in error, and thinks that he probably mistook the 

 female and yomig of the Q. eijanopterfi for it, as they greatly resendile each other. Dr. 

 Kichardson found this species very plentiful on the Saskatchewan, but did not observe 

 it farther north than the flSth parallel. It is occasionally met Avith in the autumn 

 and winter in the Bermudas, and again in April, according to Major Wedderburn. 

 ^Ir. Ilurdis adds that it not infrecpiently visits these islands in its southern migra- 

 tions. It is first seen about the 20th of September, and is met with at intervals until 

 the 24th of December. It is most numerous, however, in the month of October, j)ar- 

 ticularly when a storm is raging or has passed between those islands and the American 

 coast. A large number were shot during the occurrence of the great gale of Nov. 22, 

 1854. It is very rarely seen in s]iring, and then usually about the end of IVIarch. 



The mouths of the Mississippi, according to ]Mr. Audubon, are a great rendezvous 

 of this species in autumn and during the greater part of winter, where those arriving 

 coastways meet other multitudes that have come across the interior from the north 

 and west. These Ducks are the first to arrive in that iiart of the country, frequently 

 making their appearance in large flocks by the middle of September, when they 



