180 APPENDIX 



was noted on the average (ten years) March 26 (earliest, 

 March 18, 1899) ; northern Iowa, April 4, and Heron Lake, 

 Minn., April 9. The records of Heron Lake are quite uni- 

 form—April 11, 1885; April 11, 1886; April 10, 1887, April 

 8, 1888; April 9, 1889, April 7, 1890. These dates indicate 

 less variation in the time of arrival of this species than 

 of -any other. The blue-winged teal appears in south- 

 eastern Nebraska, March 28; central South Dakota, 

 April 2; central North Dakota, April 12; northwestern 

 Minnesota, April 23 ; Aweme, Man., April 27. 



In southern Texas this teal becomes common in spring 

 about the middle of March ; about the first week in April 

 is the height of the shooting season in southern Louisi- 

 ana. The latest migrants have been noted at Gaines- 

 ville, Fla., April 29, 1887; Baltimore, Md., May 7, 1890; 

 New Orleans, La., May 21, 1898; San Antonio, Tex., May 

 14, 1902. Eggs have been taken at Canton, 111., May 16, 

 1897. Eggs just hatching were found on the Magdalen 

 Islands, Gulf of St. Lawrence, June 16, 1900, and fresh 

 eggs at Waseca, Minn., June 1 ; in North Dakota, June 

 12 ; and at Reaburn, Man., June 4, 1894. 



Fall Migration. — ^The blue-winged teal is one of the 

 earliest ducks to move southward; during the month of 

 August it reappears throughout the northern half of the 

 United States and some especially early birds almost 

 reach the Gulf of Mexico. During a period of fourteen 

 years the average date of arrival at Alexandria, Va., was 

 Aug. 31 (earliest, Aug. 18, 1889) ; they become common 

 on the average Sept. 23, though in the fall of 1887 they 

 were already numerous Sept. 10. The average date of 

 arrival in central Kansas is Sept. 12, and in southern 

 Mississippi Sept. 16. 



