MALLARD, TEAL AND SHOVELLER 



271 



Throughout its home, which embraces the 

 ■whole United States east of the Rockies, and 

 also far north and far south, it is so common — 

 and also so small — it is not highly prized by 

 sportsmen, and its worst enemy is the sordid 

 market-hunter. Like the other teal, it prefers 

 quiet, inland waters to the wide expanses that 

 back up from the sea. 



All the teal are quick risers, and also speedy 

 on the wing; but they are rather dull of sense, 

 and easy to approach. The Blue-Wing is 

 known by the conspicuous white crescent in 

 front of and half encircling the eye, and the 

 bright blue patch, called the "speculum," on 

 its wing. 



The Cinnamon Teal 1 is a cinnamon-brown 

 bird of the western half of the United States, 

 once common, but rapidly diminishing in 

 numbers. This species is very difficult to keep 

 long in captivity, being very sensitive to all 

 adverse influences. 



The Green-Winged Teal 2 has a very noticea- 

 ble crest, and a beautiful emerald-green specu- 

 lum on each wing. It is found scattered over 

 practically the whole of North America, from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Barren 

 Grounds to Cuba and Honduras. 



The Shoveller, 3 also called the Spoonbill, 

 is a handsome duck, recognizable by its extreme- 

 ly broad and spoon-shaped bill — the broadest 

 of any American duck. The head and neck 

 of the male are either black, or dark metallic- 

 green; and the body-colors are black, white, 

 blue, and green, handsomely disposed. 



The bill of this bird shows the limit of de- 

 velopment in width, and the comb-like lamellae 

 along the outer edges, which are designed for 

 use in straining minute particles of food out of 

 water, are very pronounced. These minute 

 plates are set cross-wise at the edges of the 

 mandibles, and perform the same functon as 

 the plates of hairy baleen, or "wdialebone," 

 in the mouth of a baleen whale. All the mem- 

 bers of the Order Anatidae are provided with 

 lamellated bills, as also are the flamingoes. 



This fine duck is a bird of inland waters, and 



1 Quer-qued' u-la cy-an-op'ter-a. Average length, 

 16 inches. 



2 Net'ti-on carolinensis. Average length, 13.50 

 inches. 



3 Spat'u-la cly-pe-a'la. Average length, 19 inches. 



appears to dislike salt water. It is found 

 sparingly "pretty much everywhere throughout 

 the northern hemisphere . . . but is not 

 common in the eastern states, and breeds from 

 Alaska to Texas." Its flight is much like that 

 of a teal, but less swift, and in cruising about 

 for good feeding-grounds it is irregular and 

 hesitating. "The body of the Shoveller is not 

 large, and its apparent size in the air is made 

 up chiefly of wings and head. . . . As a 

 bird for the table, I have held it in very high 

 esteem." (D. G. Elliot.) 



Male. 



Female. 



THE SHOVELLER-DUCK. 



In captivity it is a difficult bird to acclima- 

 tize and keep alive, which for several reasons is 

 to be regretted. The females and immature 

 birds are colored very differently from the 

 adult and perfect males. The following local 

 names of this bird have been recorded by Mr. 

 Elliot in his admirable book on "The Wild 

 Fowl of North America": Blue-Winged Shovel- 

 ler, Red-Breasted Shoveller, Spoonbilled "Teal," 

 Spoonbilled "Widgeon," Broad-Bill, Broady, 

 Swaddle-Bill and Mud-Shoveller. 



I regard the Pintail, or Sprigtail, 4 as the 

 most beautiful duck in America, not even ex- 

 cepting the wood-duck. On land its outlines 

 are trim, graceful and finely drawn, and on the 

 water it makes one think of a finely modelled 

 yacht. In beauty of form it far surpasses all 



4 Daf'i-la a-cu'ta. Average length of male, 27 

 inches; female, 22 inches. 



