162 BRITISH BIRDS EGGS. 
COMMON TEAL. 
QUERQUEDULA cRECcA, Linn. 
Pl. XXIV., figs. 5, 6. 
Geogr. distr.—Palzarctic Region generally; everywhere in Great 
Britain. 
Food.—Mollusea, fish, insects, seeds, plants. : 
P Nest.—Constructed of heath and dried grass, thickly lined with 
own, 
Position of nest.—On the ground amongst grass or heather, usually 
under the shelter of furze or other low bushes. 
Number of eggs.—8-11. 
Time of nidification—IV-V ; May. 
Respecting this species, Mr. Harting writes :—‘‘I have 
often found the eggs during the last week in April. 
Although usually placed in the vicinity of water, the nest 
is sometimes at a considerable distance from it, and always 
rests upon dry ground. I have never found a Teal’s nest 
in the swampy situations in which Coots, Moorhens, and 
Grebes build. 
“A hollow is generally scraped out at the foot of some 
overhanging bunch of heather, or tussock of dry waving 
grass, and lined with fine heath stalks and bents, then 
eight or ten creamy white eggs are laid, and as the hen 
bird covers them she plucks from her breast and sides the 
soft brown down which underlies her feathers, and places 
it entirely round the eggs, filling up all the interstices, 
thus forming a warm bed for the young as soon as they 
leave the shell. The overhanging roof of grass or heather 
serves to conceal the eggs (though not always so) from the 
eyes of passing Crows.” 
In his ‘Sketches of Bird Life,’ p. 279, he says :—‘‘ Teal 
are very sociable in their habits, and during the winter 
they may often be found in company with the common 
Wild Ducks. But, although they mingle together when on 
the water, on being disturbed the species always separate, 
the Teal going off in one flock, the Ducks in another. On 
rising from the water they do not first swim away from the 
danger, or flutter over the surface as some fowl do, but 
jump suddenly into the air without warning, so that if you 
are approaching them in a punt and do not pull the trigger 
the moment you find that you are perceived by them, you 
will, in all probability, lose your chance of a shot.” 
