On the Cinnamon Teal.



261



■dart forward in pursuit of the intruder. As is customary with other

birds, both the cock and hen took part in the feeding of the young,

the hen being, however, decidedly the most assiduous. Caterpillars

and winged insects chiefly formed the diet of the young birds. Con¬

sistent with the traditions of small bird-life, the Yellow Wagtails

were scrupulously attentive to the comfort of their charges; even the

bed came in for an occasional shake-up. A good deal of energy was

expended on this little duty while it lasted. It was undertaken by

both birds; standing over the young', they pulled vigorously at the

interior of the nest until arranged to their satisfaction. The

characteristic inquisitiveness of a herd of Welsh cattle caused me

some annoyance. They would, at frequent intervals, come and

investigate my hiding, and it was disturbing to me as well as to the

Yellow Wagtails that I should be constantly getting out to drive the

cattle away. Some days afterwards I was again in the vicinity, and

went to see if the little family had been duly reared. I saw a pair

of old Yellow Wagtails feeding some fully-fledged youngsters a short

distance away, so I concluded all had gone well.



THE CINNAMON TEAL.


Querqueclula cyanoptera —VlEiLLOT.


By Major Boyd Horsbrugh.


I must apologise for pretending that the ensuing article is

mine. Mr. Hugh Wormald has been kind enough to send me the

notes on the behaviour and habits of the Cinnamon Teal in captivity,

and I think it will probably interest the members of our Society if I

add to these some details on the distribution and habits of this

beautiful little bird in its native home, as extracted from Bulletin

No. 26 of the United States Department of Agriculture. The notes

are written by Mr. Wells W. Cooke, Assistant to the Biological

Survey. I consider Mr. Cooke knows more about N. American

waterfowl than almost any other American Naturalist, and his notes

are concise as well as most interesting.


For the benefit of English readers I may explain the following

abbreviations :—



