GREEN- WINGED TEAL. 223 



ming or washing themselves near the spot. By watching them carefully 

 I discovered their landing places, and on going up found a path formed, 

 in a direct line among the rushes. In two cases I came so near the nest, 

 as almost to touch the sitting bird as it rose affrighted. While it flew 

 round me, and then alighted on the water, I viewed the nest, with per- 

 haps more interest than I have felt on most occasions of a like nature. 

 On a scanty bed of the bird's own down and feathers, supported by ano- 

 ther of grasses, intermixed with mud and stalks of the plants around, 

 raised to the height of four or five inches, I found seven eggs in one, 

 nine in another, and only five in a third. They were all found in the 

 month of July, and not far from Green Bay. The average measurement 

 of the eggs was an inch and three quarters by an inch and three- eighths. 

 They were much rounded, of a dull yellowish colour, indistinctly marked 

 with a deeper tint, as if soiled. In one of the nests only the eggs were 

 fresh. I took two of them, which I afterwards ate. Having planted a 

 stick as a mark of recognition, I visited the nest three days in succession, 

 but found that the bird had abandoned it ; while those of the other two 

 nests, which were not more than about a hundred yards distant, and 

 whose eggs I had handled quite as much, although I took none away, 

 continued to sit. No male birds were to be seen during my stay in that 

 neighbourhood. I concluded that although the eggs may be touched or 

 even handled and lifted from the nest, yet if they were all replaced, the 

 bird did not take umbrage ; but that should any of them be missed, 

 some strong feehng urged her to abandon the rest. Again I thought 

 that as incubation had just commenced with this bird, she cared less 

 about her eggs than the other two whose eggs contained chicks. 



Having met with the young of this species only once, at a time when 

 I was less aware of the necessity of noting observations in writing, I am 

 unwilling to speak of their colours from recollection. All I can say is 

 that I had great trouble in catching four of them, so cunningly did they 

 hide in the grass, and so expert were they at diving. 



