CINNAMON TEAL. 



T^HIS rather handsome bird is restricted to the western 

 portion of North America, from the Columbia River, 

 along the Pacific coast, south to Chili, and eastward to the 

 Argentine Republic and the Falkland Islands. Occa- 

 sionally it straggles into the Mississippi Valley, and has 

 even been known to go as far eastward as Florida, but 

 such occurrences are extremely rare and can only be re- 

 garded in the same light as would be the appearance of 

 some European species taken within our limits. In the 

 United States the Cinnamon Teal is essentially a western 

 bird, particularly numerous in California, where it is 

 found in flocks of considerable size, and associates with 

 other fresh-water Ducks. It goes in summer as far 

 north as the upper part of the Columbia River, and has 

 been found nesting in Idaho, and breeds in various parts 

 of Colorado. It is abundant also in the great Salt Lake 

 Valley. 



The breeding season commences in May, about the 

 middle of the month. The nest is composed of grass, 

 lined with down and feathers, and placed upon the 

 ground, generally in the vicinity of water, and about a 

 dozen creamy-white eggs are deposited. In its habits 

 this species does not differ appreciably from its eastern 

 ally, the Blue-winged Teal. It flies as swiftly, rises as 

 suddenly from the water when startled, and is as palatable 

 as an article of food. It would seem that South America 

 was more naturally its home, and its dispersion is great- 

 est on that continent, and that the western section of our 



