222 
ANAS CRECCA 
even June, and none arri%'es in extreme northern or northeastern Asia much before early June. Con- 
cerning the autumn migration both in Europe and in Asia, I wnll only say that it is slightly later than 
that of some other common fresh-water ducks. The birds apparently do not leave central Europe 
until the second half of October, excepting in small numbers, and arrive in southern Europe in late 
October, November or even December. Similar conditions exist in Asia, only there the seasons are 
more sharply defined. 
GENERAL HABITS 
Haunts. The Common Teal is in every respect a true shoal -water duck; indeed, it 
must be regarded as very closely related to the Mallard and very far removed from 
the other so-called “Teal” with which it is placed’by systematists. Structurally it is 
certainly a member of the genus Anas and in general habits, voice, display, nesting 
and feeding activities, it is very Mallard-like. 
The nature of the country it inhabits is essentially the same as that chosen by the 
Mallard, but it prefers shallower feeding grounds and boggy places and is satisfied 
with even smaller pools of water. It is also more strictly confined to fresh water, but 
in winter it will resort to the sea when the inland feeding grounds freeze up, or when 
it is persistently persecuted. During migration many resort to salt-marshes, just 
as our Teal do. Teal are perhaps more apt to gather in large numbers on mud than 
Mallards, and like to rest through the day on banks and mud-flats. 
In the breeding season they show more tendency to seek higher elevations than 
the Mallard does. Instances have been recorded of their doing this in Saxony 
(Heyder, 1913), Iceland (Hantzsch, 1905), Caucasus (Radde, 1884), Yarkand, 15,000 
to 16,000 feet (G. Henderson and Hume, 1873), western Tibet, 15,200 feet (H. J. 
Walton, 1906; Parrot, 1909). In the winter, under the tropical conditions of the 
Philippines, it has been found at elevations of 5000 feet (J. Whitehead, 1899). 
Wariness. In most groups of birds the smaller species are tamer and more con- 
fiding than the larger ones. The Teal is a good example of this, and ev'en in western 
Europe, where other species are extremely shy, it is still comparatively easy to 
approach and is generally regarded as the least wary of the ducks. During the rare 
times when they assemble in great numbers on the coastal estuaries of the British 
Isles they are much more easily approached by punt-gunners than are the Mallard 
or the Widgeon. But they are said by at least one writer (Cordeaux, 1896) to be 
much wilder in the night than in the daytime, which may be due to their nocturnal 
habits. In walking up ducks at night he found the Teal taking alarm even before 
the Mallards. 
These birds are little annoyed by civilization and are much more likely to be 
found near settlements or highways than other ducks are. Their natural disposition 
is well shown by their behavior in parts of India, where they were at one time 
practically immune, and could be found on village ponds, sometimes not even rising 
