BLUE-WINGED TEAL 
387 
coming back rapidly since 1914-15 (Howe, Bull. Amer. Game Prot. Assn., 1919, p. 
11) owing to Federal protection, and possibly also to the sanctuaries established on 
great stretches of the Louisiana coast. In the sandhill region of western Nebraska, 
Oberholser (1920) during his reconnaissance found it the most abundant duck in the 
breeding season. In Minnesota, where it is an abundant breeder, it is also very 
plentiful as a migrant. Estimates made by the Minnesota Fish and Game Com- 
mission, 1919-20, showed that the Blue-wing was third in abundance among the 
ducks shot by the sportsmen of that State. These estimates, admittedly very rough 
because only a few of the licensed sportsmen take the trouble to report, place the 
total number of Blue-wings taken in 1919 at 336,000 and in 1920 at 176,000. In 
North Dakota it has always been, and probably still is the commonest breeding 
duck (Bent, 1901-02; and others). Northward of central Saskatchewan and Al- 
berta it rapidly becomes a rarer breeding bird until at the delta of the Athabasca, 
Harper (MS.) found only a few odd pairs and estimated it as fourteenth in abun- 
dance among breeding ducks. 
Enemies. At Quill Lake, Saskatchewan, Ferry (1910) speaks of Blue-wing’s eggs 
being destroyed by gulls (species.'*). Rockwell (1911) found a nest in the Barr Lake 
region of Colorado in which each egg had been perforated and the contents extracted. 
He does not name the culprit. It is possible that the pack-rat {Neotoma) eats duck 
eggs. 
Damage. No doubt these Teal caused some damage in the rice-fields of the 
southern States before our Civil War, but nothing has been published about damage 
recently done. The bird is too scarce in the rice districts of California to be of any 
importance, though it might have some effect on the Arkansas crop. 
Food Value. In my opinion this species is equal to the Green-wing as a table 
bird. Perhaps it is a little better, just because it is somewhat larger. Audubon said 
that if it should ever be domesticated, “so tender and savoury is its flesh, ... it 
would quickly put the merits of the widely celebrated Canvasbacked Duck in the 
shade.” Elliot (1898) and many others have eulogized the tenderness and good 
flavor of its flesh. 
Hunt. These Teal are mostly killed over wooden decoys. They come as readily 
to a live Mallard decoy as do Mallard or Black Duck, perhaps even more readily for 
they are extremely tame and sociable. They are also among the most exciting ducks 
to shoot on a duck pass, for they fly low and fast and flocks are often so packed that 
one barrel of a 12-gauge gun may bring down a goodly number. One of the pleasant- 
est methods of hunting Teal I often employed in northern Montana in September. 
