2 
COMMON TEAL. 
28th of August, 1871, the punts were drawn up under the wall on the north side, and soon after day- 
break a “ bunch ” of Teal came in view on the “ deep water.” Sculling up well within range, the trigger 
of the old muzzle-loader used in those days was pulled, hut a dull click, which happened to put up the 
birds, was the sole response. On examining the nipple and cap they were found to be in perfect workino- 
order, and then the hammer came in for investigation, and the cause of the misfire was ascertained. 
In this the remains of four old exploded caps were discovered, and their presence would naturally take 
off the force of the fall and account for the loss of this excellent chance of a good shot. The breach- 
loaders that have since been turned out put an end to a chance of such mishaps, though had the lock 
of tlie gun been carefully attended to by the puntmen when they were cleaning it this could never have 
occurred. What had happened, however, proved of little consequence, as an hour later the small party 
of Teal were again detected floating quietly together off “Smith’s Rondes,” and five out of the six were 
stopped by the charge of the big gun, wdiich was now in working order. Towards evening the remaining 
bird was secured, the poor little fowl having been evidently uneasy and restless during the whole of the 
day owing to the loss of its companions; just as we were on the point of leaving the water it flew in 
from the North Marshes and passing within range was killed by the shoulder-gun. 
During the spring and summer of 18G8 I collected a great many specimens in the west of Ross-shire, 
and while returning on the 22nd of May from a loch near the coast a few miles from Gairloch, where I 
had shot a pair of Black-throated Divers, we came across a duck Teal with her brood in a small reedy 
pool on a heather-clad slope on one of the hill-sides. As it was evident the juveniles would make good 
specimens of the young in the down, we halted under the cover of some dead reeds and slabs of stone 
and I extracted the cartridges in the barrels of my shoulder-gun in order to insert some loaded with No. 10 
shot, so as not to damage such tender mites. One of these (a No. 10 bore pin-fire) dropped from my hand 
and striking a large stone the charge instantly went off, fortunately without appearing to have alarmed 
the birds or disturbed the equanimity of Nell, my retriever, under whose nose the explosion occurred as 
she sat at my feet and who paid not the slightest attention to the disturbanee. The shot, when I fired, 
turned over the old Teal and the whole of her family, and Nell was despatched to retrieve them. This 
was satisfactorily accomplished, with the sole exception that having collected and crammed them all 
into her mouth at once, she delivered the old bird and seven downy young on the bank ; but, despite all 
her efforts to bring it up, the last went down her throat, though she coughed and retched for nearly 
a minute. 
I remarked, while living in the east of Norfolk, that rough weather in autumn and early winter was 
sure to bring us Teal on the broads and on the pools and slades on the hills surrounding the water. On 
the 1st of October, 1879, an exceedingly blusterous day, with squalls of wind and rain, there were a lot of 
Teal with Curlew, Plovers, and Dunlins on “ Swimeoats,” one of the hills on Ilickling Broad, and some 
good shots were made, the birds appearing worn out by the protracted severity of the gale. As early as 
the 20th of June in 1883, I noticed many of the young birds of this species on wing on these waters, the 
old drakes still exhibiting the early spring plumage. Eive males and two females were seen the same 
day on “ Rush Hills ” ; this would indicate that they had eitlier lost their broods or separated from the 
young, which were now capable of attending to their own wants, the latter being most probably the case. 
I have kept Teal in confinement in our garden near Brighton for several years, but have been enabled 
to learn little concerning their habits, as they appear exceedingly shy, usually seeking the shelter of the 
willows and other bushes as soon as they detect their actions are watched. Under the date of April 11, 
1881, I find in my notes referring to these birds, “ The Teal drakes whistling almost continually when 
not disturbed, the sound being somewhat similar to that of the call of the cock Bullfinch. The note of 
the female, who now and then responds, resembles the squeak of a penny trumpet.” Also on the 18th of 
