﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  191 
  

  

  da}'s 
  later 
  than, 
  the 
  Pintail 
  and 
  is 
  about 
  as 
  common 
  as 
  that 
  species. 
  

   It 
  returns 
  from 
  the 
  breeding 
  grounds, 
  which 
  lie 
  mostly 
  from 
  Minnesota 
  

   to 
  the 
  Mackenzie 
  valley 
  and 
  Alaska, 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  September 
  to 
  loth 
  of 
  

   October, 
  and 
  leaves 
  from 
  the 
  loth 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  November 
  for 
  its 
  

   winter 
  quarters, 
  which 
  lie 
  from 
  Chesapeake 
  bay 
  to 
  Florida 
  and 
  Cuba 
  

   and 
  Mexico. 
  Stragglers 
  are 
  sometimes 
  found 
  with 
  us 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  Decem- 
  

   ber 
  13th. 
  

  

  The 
  Baldpate 
  or 
  American 
  widgeon, 
  like 
  the 
  Black 
  duck 
  often 
  spends 
  

   the 
  day 
  on 
  the 
  open 
  waters 
  of 
  our 
  lakes 
  and 
  bays, 
  especially 
  when 
  disturbed 
  

   in 
  the 
  marshes, 
  and 
  at 
  dusk 
  resorts 
  to 
  the 
  shallows 
  and 
  flooded 
  lands 
  to 
  

   feed 
  on 
  the 
  seeds 
  of 
  aquatic 
  plants, 
  tender 
  vegetable 
  shoots, 
  snails 
  and 
  

   insects. 
  The 
  male's 
  note 
  is 
  a 
  mewing 
  whistle 
  resembling 
  the 
  syllables 
  

   whew, 
  whew. 
  The 
  female 
  utters 
  a 
  loud 
  cry 
  like 
  the 
  syllables 
  kaow, 
  kaow- 
  

   Its 
  flesh 
  is 
  highly 
  esteemed 
  as 
  food. 
  

  

  Nettion 
  crecca 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

  

  European 
  Teal 
  

  

  Anas 
  c 
  r 
  e 
  c 
  c 
  a 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  1758. 
  1:126 
  

   A. 
  O. 
  U 
  . 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  (138) 
  

  

  nst'tion, 
  Gr. 
  diminutive, 
  vrymov, 
  a 
  duckling; 
  crec'ca, 
  Lat., 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  

  

  voice, 
  or 
  quack 
  

  

  Distinguishing 
  marks. 
  Similar 
  to 
  the 
  Green-winged 
  teal, 
  but 
  no 
  white 
  

   crescent 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  wing; 
  long 
  scapulars 
  and 
  inner 
  secondaries, 
  creamy 
  

   white, 
  forming 
  a 
  conspicuous 
  broad 
  white 
  streak; 
  the 
  dusky 
  barring 
  of 
  the 
  

   sides 
  and 
  upper 
  parts 
  coarser. 
  

  

  Females 
  and 
  young 
  of 
  this 
  teal 
  can 
  scarcely 
  be 
  determined 
  unless 
  

   by 
  careful 
  comparison 
  with 
  authentic 
  specimens, 
  but 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  browner 
  

   and 
  less 
  finely 
  variegated 
  than 
  the 
  American 
  bird. 
  

  

  This 
  palearctic 
  species 
  occurs 
  in 
  Greenland 
  and 
  casually 
  along 
  the 
  

   x^tlantic 
  coast 
  of 
  America. 
  J, 
  G. 
  Bell 
  reported 
  several 
  specimens 
  from 
  

   Long 
  Island 
  and 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  taken 
  in 
  1858 
  and 
  earlier 
  [see 
  

   Coues, 
  Key 
  to 
  North 
  American 
  Birds, 
  2: 
  918]. 
  Mr 
  Foster 
  Parker 
  reports 
  

  

  