Duck-shooting 103 



Eggs — Twelve to fourteen in number ; color, ivory-white ; measure 

 1.80 by 1.35 inches. 



Habitat — Breeds in western North America, north to British Colum- 

 bia, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, and east to western 

 Kansas, and in western South America, probably south to Chili, 

 where it is known to breed ; occurring also in Argentina, Pata- 

 gonia, and the Falkland Islands. All winter south of the United 

 States, excepting stragglers in Louisiana. Recorded also from 

 the West Indies, Florida, New York, Texas, Nebraska, Illinois, 

 Minnesota, Manitoba, and Alberta. 



The cinnamon teal is hardly common in the 

 United States, where it is found chiefly in Cali- 

 fornia, and is known as the red-breasted teal ; but 

 in Mexico, throughout the table-lands, the bird is 

 abundant. The first arrivals come late in March, 

 and by May they are common on all the lakes 

 and lagoons of the mesa. March 20, 1901, while 

 looking for ducks along a little creek near Laguna, 

 I saw, just below the edge of the bank, in the 

 shallow water, some thirty or forty teal, mostly 

 green-winged. After watching them for several 

 minutes in the seclusion of their pool, a hawk 

 started the flock, and as they rose, the dark red 

 of one attracted my attention. It was shot. This 

 was my first introduction to the cinnamon teal, 

 and few birds have given me more pleasure at 

 first acquaintance. By early May they were com- 

 mon wherever there was water, at first associating 

 with the flocks of other teal. These, however, 

 soon left on their journey north, and the cinna- 

 mon teal was abandoned to the companionship 



