THE GAME BREEDER 1«5 



heads" to obtain insects and seeds from wholly unfamiliar with this duck. The 



the mud on the bottom. Occasionally present game laws give the cinnamon 



cinnamon teal may be seen searching for teal a greater degree of protection than 



food in the grass on shore. is given almost any other duck. Its per- 



The cinnamon teal is usually consid- sistence as a game species is also assured 



ered inferior to other teal as a table because of its habit of breeding about 



duck. When spring and early fall shoot- almost any small pond or irrigation ditch, 



ing was still allowed in this State th The one factor which will probably affect 



species was commonly sold on the mar : the numbers of this species is the enor- 



ket. At the present time ,however, ver mous amount of reclamation which is 



few cinnamon teal are killed dui ing the reducing the appropriate nesting grounds 



open season and many sportsmen are to a minimum. 



THE CINNAMON TEAL. 



[The following account of The Cinnamon Teal, by Dr. Elliot Coues, is from "The Birds of 

 the North West, a publication of the United States Department of the Interior (1874)]. 



It has not often occurred that an Laurence ; the following one, Dr. Wood- 

 abundant bird of North Amercia has house recorded it as, "Very abundant 

 been first made known generally from throughout Western Texas, New Mexico 

 the extreme point of South America and and California. In 1855, in the work 

 for a long time recognized only as an mentioned, Mr. Cassin describes and fig- 

 inhabitant of that continent. Yet this ures the species, alluding to previous 

 species furishes such a case, having been discoveries, and to the occurrence of the 

 early named King Anas rafflesi, from bird in 'Chili,' as shown by the collec- 

 a specimen taken in the Straits of Ma- tions of the United States Astronomical 

 gellan. It is, morever, a singular fact Expedition. By this time it had become 

 that it was first discovered in the United known as a bird of Western North 

 States in a locality where it is of very America at large, numerous fragmentary 

 unusual and probably only accidental oc- accounts having been given by the nat- 

 currence. It has not, to my knowledge, uralists attached to the various Pacific 

 been found in Louisiana since its dis- Railroad Surveys, who observed it in 

 covery in that State, at Opelousas, in many different localities. Among these, 

 1849. Mr. Cassin notices this occur- Dr. Suckley's is of special interest. "I 

 rence as that of a bird new to our fauna, myself," he says, alluding to its previ- 

 and subsequently makes thef ; following ously noticed occurrences, "have carried 

 remarks in his "Illustrations": "In a its recorded habitat as far north as the 

 communication to us, accompanying one Columbia River, where, at Fort Dallas, I 

 of the first specimens obtained by 'him obtained several specimens. Fort Dallas 

 [Dr. E. Pilate] and intended for the col- is situated about latitude 46° 45' north, 

 lection of the Philadelphian Academy, I presume this forms the northernmost 

 that gentleman mentions having occa- limits of the species, excepting, perhaps, 

 sionally seen it in company with other a narrow point of the same geographic 

 species of ducks, but regards its appear- region which, crossing the Columbia, ex- 

 ance as unusual in Louisiana." tends north of Fort Dallas about 100 



Our next notice, after Mr. Cassin's miles. This is the culmination north- 

 original one, is Prof. Baird's of 1852. wards of the great wedge-shaped north- 

 This author observes : "This beautiful ern prolongation of the southern fauna, 

 species is now for the second time pre- occurring in the arid interior of Oregon 

 sented as an inhabitant of North Amer- and Washington. Near Fort Dallas this 

 ica. It appears to be a common bird teal seems to be an annual summer resi- 

 in Utah." dent, where it breeds on the lagoons of 



The same year it is also given by Mr. the Columbia, and near the small lakes 



