LAYSAN TEAL 
51 
the junction of the neck and the body. The head of the female is also slightly marked with white. 
The appearance of albinism in this species is extremely interesting, and explainable by the intensity 
of the inbreeding that must have taken place on this small island. 
DISTRIBUTION 
The Laysan Teal is peculiar to Laysan Island, Hawaiian group. The island is only three miles long 
and contains one small fresh-water pond. According to von Kittlitz (1834) it occurs also on Lesian- 
sky Island, but this statement has never been verified. On Laysan it has never been very common, 
and is at present reduced to small numbers. W. K. Fisher (1903) estimated its numbers at less than 
one hundred, and in 1911, Dill and Bryan (1912) saw only occasional flocks of from two to six birds. 
Mr. Palmer tells me that in 1918, there were only about thirty-five specimens left on the island. The 
species has been recorded also by Rothschild (1900) and Schauinsland (1899). 
GENERAL HABITS 
There is almost nothing to be added to the account given by W. K. Fisher (1903) 
of the habits of this bird. I quote his notes in full. “It is surprising that an islet 
scarcely three miles in its longest dimension should harbor a peculiar species of the 
genus Anas. The birds themselves are scarcely less peculiar than their distribution. 
Most of us picture ducks as among the wariest of wild-fowl, but the Laysan Teal, 
though not exactly tame, are at any rate quite unsophisticated. These birds congre- 
gate in greatest numbers about a little rush-bordered fresh-water pond, mentioned 
in the narrative. Here we could find them at any time, standing usually on a little 
pile of rocks near the center. When disturbed near shore they quietly swam out to 
their rock and sunned themselves by the hour. We saw the ducks also on other 
parts of the island. Near the habitations there was a pair which probably had a nest 
in the vicinity. One of these used to come up to the house after nightfall and walk 
about like a barnyard fowl. Mr. Schlemmer said it was searching for millers. 
“The stomach of a male collected near the pond was gorged with small flies 
resembling the common housefly. Although these ducks can fly perfectly well they 
ordinarily did not take wing until approached within a few rods, and then never 
went far. They much prefer to walk, and we used to see them strolling about in 
pairs, or even threes. In this way they pick up their food as they go along. We 
never saw any Teal near the ocean, and it is probable they never swim in salt water. 
“We were fortunate enough to discover one nest within a couple of rods of the 
pond, placed under a thiek chenopodium bush. Six eggs of the palest green rested 
in a shallow bowl, formed of long dry juncus stems. The hollow was a little over five 
inches in diameter. As I wished, if possible, to secure a picture of the female, I 
photographed the eggs and left them till the following morning. When I returned to 
the nest, however, three of the eggs had hatched, one young was half out, another 
egg picked, and only the sixth remained whole. In shape the egg is a blunt ovate 
and measures 55 by 38 millimeters. Two days later (May 21) Mr. Snyder saw three 
