46 NOTES ON THE 
between the treeless banks. They are, as a general thing, 
several days later in their spring arrivals, and as much earlier 
than the Green-wings in autumn. This is not true in every 
migration, for I have once or twice known them to come a lit- 
tle before the other, and several times simultaneously; but in 
my observations extending over many years in succession, it 
has proved a noticable characteristic in its migrations. They 
are seldom seen on the large clear lakes; but on small ponds, 
mud flats, and sluggish streams where various pond weeds 
and aquatic roots afford, in abundance its favorite vegetable 
food. Nesting late in May and early in June, they rear only 
one brood so far as I have been able to ascertain. The struc- 
ture is uniformly of grasses, lined quite liberally with down 
from the female’s own breast and is more commonly placed on 
dry ground at least a hundred yards from the nearest water. 
It is best found by carefully distinguishing the obscure path at 
the water’s edge, and tracing it to its unsuspectedly remote 
seclusion. The search may prove the path to have been the 
beaten runway of the muskrat to some other pond, but may 
afterwards be distinquished by its having been so much more 
frequented and soiled. 
The eggs are of the same general color as the Green-winged 
Teals, namely, a dull, dingy, cream-white, and are a little 
smaller in size, and about ten in number. Like the other 
species they fly in very compact flocks of a dozen or less, and 
at a terrific speed, only excelled by one other amongst all the 
ducks known. Tenderest of all, they retire southward earliest 
in the autumn, so that sometimes all have left the country.by 
the 25th of October, or first of November. They are found 
breeding in every part of the State in different seasons. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Head and ueck above plumbeous gray; top of head, black; 
a white crescent in front of the eye; under parts from middle 
of neck, purplish-gray, each feather with spots of black, which 
become more obsolete behind; fore part of back with the feath- 
ers brown, with two undulating narrow bands of purplish-gray; 
feathers on the flanks, banded with dark-brown and purplish- 
gray; back behind and tail, greenish-brown; crissum, black; wing 
coverts and some of the outer webs of the scapulars, blue; 
other scapulars, velvet-black, or green streaked with pale 
reddish-buff; speculum, glossy-green; outer greater wing cov- 
erts, white, as are the axillaries, middle of under surface of wing, 
and a patch on each side of the base of the tail]; bill, black; 
feet, flesh-colored; iris, dark-hazel. 
