FOOD HABITS OF SHOAL- WATER DUCKS. 17 



ity of Currituck Sound, North Carolina, contained leaves of eelgrass. 

 The fifth, from Ipswich, Mass., contained only seeds of salt-marsh bul- 

 rush (Scirpus robustus) . Thus it will be seen that in all probability the 

 food of the European widgeon does not differ materially from that 

 of its American cousin, the baldpate. 



GREEN- WINGED TEAL. 



(Nettion carolinense). 

 Plate III. 



The green-winged teal, variously known to sportsmen as green- wing, 

 mud teal, winter teal, or red-headed teal, has a very wide distribution, 

 being found in the breeding season from New York, northern Penn- 

 sylvania, Michigan, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico northward 

 to the edge of the Barren Grounds; from near Fort Churchill, Hud- 

 son Bay, to Kotzebue Sound; and nearly to Point Barrow, Alaska. 

 The main breeding grounds are in west central Canada from Manitoba 

 to Lake Athabaska, and the bird breeds only rarely in the United States 

 east of the Rocky Mountains. It winters commonly in Mexico and the 

 Bahamas, and rarely in Cuba, Jamaica, and Honduras; occasionally 

 south to Tobago. It is also very common in winter in the Southern 

 States, and many individuals remain throughout the winter as 

 far north as they can find open water. It is one of the early 

 ducks to migrate in spring, usually reaching the latitude of New 

 York City during the first week in April, and arriving at the northern 

 limits of its breeding range by about the first of May. 



The adult male green-winged teal can best be distinguished by its 

 dark brown head with a patch of metallic green on each side, includ- 

 ing the eye, and extending into a crest at the back of the head. It 

 has also a white crescent in front of the wing and a metallic green 

 speculum or wing patch. This wing patch is not so distinct on the 

 female and young. Any of the teals can be distinguished from most 

 of the other ducks by their small size, the green- wing measuring 12| 

 to 15 inches in length, the blue-wing 14| to 16 inches, and the 

 cinnamon teal about 17 inches. 



FOOD HABITS. 



The green-winged teal feeds largely upon the seeds of pondweeds, 

 bulrushes, and other aquatic plants, although it takes also a smaller 

 proportion of such animal food as insects, small crustaceans, and 

 snails. When much disturbed during the daytime, the flocks feed 

 largely at night. The flesh of the green-wing is very palatable, 

 being considered among the best of American ducks, although it is 

 said soon to become less palatable when the birds have been driven 

 to the seashore and feed upon snails and salt-water crustaceans. On 

 179375°— 20 2 



