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AMERICAN WIDGEON— GREEN-WINGED TEAL— AMERICAN SNIPE— THRUSHES. 



PLATE LXII. 

 American Widgeon— Baldpate. (Mareca amertcana.) 



Fig. i. 



This bird is an inhabitant of North America, breeding in various 

 parts of the United States, and passing its winters in Cuba and the 

 contiguous territories southwest. It breeds in great abundance in 

 Dakotah and Montana. From the great delicacy of its flesh, rank- 

 ing next in flavor to the Canvas-back, it is much sought after by 

 sportsmen. In the Chesapeake and Potomac it is a constant com- 

 panion of the Canvas-back, depending largely on the latter for its 

 supply of food. Possessing superior powers of diving, the Wid- 

 geon watches this duck until it brings to the surface the tender roots 

 of the water-celery, when it instantly filches the dainty morsel and 

 appropriates it to its own use. During the daytime they rarely 

 feed, remaining listlessly on the sand flats or screened by the 

 herbage of the marshes ; but when night approaches they may be 

 heard in large numbers repairing to their favorite feeding-grounds. 

 Their flight is swift, well sustained, and generally in small flocks. 

 Their nests are placed upon the ground, in which from eight to 

 twelve eggs are laid, in color of a dull, paie buff, and measuring 

 2.00 by 1.50 inches. Wilson says they have a peculiar whistle 

 resembling " whew, whew," while Audubon's ear could only 

 detect the word "sweet," enunciated as if produced by a flute or 

 hautboy. 



Green-winged Teal. (Jfyierquedula carolinensis.) 



Fig. 2. 



This bird inhabits the whole of North America, extending its 

 northern range as far as Greenland, wintering in Cuba, Mexico, 

 and as far south as Honduras. It is a fresh-water bird, though it is 

 sometimes met with in marine bays and lagoons. Its food consists 

 of the seeds of grasses, small acorns, berries, aquatic insects, and 

 small snails. Audubon says that its flesh is delicious, the best of 

 any of its tribe, and after having fed a few weeks on the wild oats 

 of Green Bay or the soaked rice in the fields of Georgia and the 

 Carolinas, is much superior to the Canvas-back in tenderness, 

 juiciness, and flavor. On the wing they are alike the most grace- 

 ful, and with the exception of the Mergansers, the swiftest of any 

 of the tribe. They spend most of their time, after their hunger is 

 appeased, on sandbars or clean parts of the shore, where they 

 dress their feathers and bask in the warm sun. Their nests are 

 composed of a bed of grasses and mud mixed together, and lined 

 with their own feathers. The eggs are from five to seven in num- 

 ber, of a uniform creamy buff color, measuring about 2.00 by 1.50 

 inches. It is difficult to conceive why the popular name of 

 "Green-winged" should be given to this bird, as its wings have 

 but little green upon them. 



American Snipe — Wilson's Snipe. (Gattinago wilsoni.) 

 Fig. 3. 



This favorite game-bird is very widely distributed over North 

 America, ranging to the south as far as South America, inhabiting 

 the West Indies, and breeding from the Middle and New England 

 States northward. Many winter in the Carolinas, resorting to the 

 rice-fields in large flocks. They commence to migrate early in 

 March, stopping to gather the dainty tidbits with which the oozy 

 marshes of Delaware and New Jersey abound, and in April spread- 

 ing themselves throughout the interior of the upland countries for 



the purpose of breeding. Dr. Lewis, in his entertaining " Ameri- 

 can Sportsman," tells us that " if the sportsman should, at early 

 dawn, or even at mid-day, during the season of incubation, visit 

 the low meadows frequented by these birds, he will probably see 

 one or both of a pair mounting high in the air in a spiral manner, 

 beating their wings, or sailing around in rapid circles until they 

 have gained a hundred yards or more in height ; then clasping each 

 other, they whirl around, flapping their wings with great velocity, 

 and then dropping in mid-air, give utterance to a low twittering or 

 rather rolling sound, supposed to be produced by the action of the 

 wings upon the air in their rapid descent." In its more northern 

 breeding places, the Snipe does not begin to lay its eggs until July, 

 selecting the swampy part of some extensive morass, where it hol- 

 lows a place in the moss, and lays four eggs, placing the small 

 ends together. These eggs are moderately pyriform, the ground 

 color of a grayish-olive, with numerous markings of umber-brown, 

 and measuring about 1.60 by 1.12 inches. Like the Woodcock, it 

 probes the soft earth with its bill, searching for worms and animal- 

 cules, varying its diet with water-insects, leeches, and grasshoppers. 

 Being a voracious feeder, it is obliged to constantly shift its ground, 

 and where food is abundant, becomes an easy prey to the sports- 

 man. They are very fickle in all their movements, and where nu- 

 merous to-day, may not be found at all on the morrow. When 

 approached, the Snipe hugs closely to the ground, but, emitting a 

 strong scent, is winded at a great distance by a good dog. When 

 sprung, it takes wing very hastily, and flying in rapid, zigzag lines, 

 is the despair of inexperienced shots. 



Long-billed, or Louisiana Water Thrush. {Seiurus ludovicianus.) 



Fig. 4. 



This bird is mostly confined to Eastern United States, though it 

 has been found as far west as Kansas. It rarely reaches farther north 

 than Massachusetts, spending its winters in the Southern States, 

 Cuba, Jamaica, and Guatemala. Audubon is profuse in praise of 

 its powers of song. He says : " As much and justly as the song 

 of the Nightingale is admired, I am inclined, after having oftea 

 listened to it, to pronounce it in no degree superior to that of the 

 Louisiana Water Thrush ;" and he adds, that " the bird may be ob- 

 served, perched on a low bough scarcely higher than the top of 

 the canes, in an erect attitude, swelling his throat, and repeating 

 several times in succession, sounds so approaching the whole ten 

 octaves of a good piano-forte, as almost to induce the hearer to im- 

 agine that the keys of that instrument are used on the occasion. 

 The bird begins on the upper key, and progressively passes from 

 one to another, until it reaches the low note, this last frequently 

 being lost when there is the least agitation in the air." The flight 

 of this Water Thrush is very graceful and easy, and when it walks, 

 its tail is constantly on the move. It builds its nest at the roots of 

 trees, or on the side of decayed logs, forming it of dry leaves, and 

 lining it with fine grass and hair. From four to five eggs are laid, 

 of a rosy blush in color, speckled all over, and measuring about 

 .69 by .59. 



Short-billed Water Thrush. {Seiurus noveboracensis) 



Fig. 5- 



This bird is an inhabitant of Eastern North America, occasion- 

 ally found as far west as Montana and Washington Territory. Its 

 favorite haunts are near some brook, pond, or river, where it spends 

 its time wading in the shallows in search of the aquatic insects on 

 which it feeds. It is very shy and darts out of sight at the most 

 careful approach. When tired of feeding, it will perch on some 

 favorite branch overhanging the water, and pour forth a song at 



