36 
gadwall is rare also, although said to have been once not un- 
common. The pintail may now be considered a rare bird in 
most of Massachusetts, where within thirty-five years it was 
commonly seen in small flocks. The blue-winged teal was 
a common migrant in the State up to within thirty years, 
being found in large flocks in the small ponds and streams. 
Mr. Gerry says that fifteen to forty years ago he killed blue- 
winged teal nearly every morning, in the season, at Spot 
Pond, which is only about seven or eight miles from Boston. 
He has seen about two hundred birds in a flock at Plymouth, 
and has been informed that a boy killed eighty-four in one 
day within twenty years at Sandwich. How the teal are 
nearly all gone, although there are scattering flocks and oc- 
casional local flights. A flight was reported in the fall of 
1904. In September a flock of fourteen birds passed me 
three times on the Concord Biver. They were fired at 
several times, and that was the last I saw of them. I have 
not seen so many in a flock for years. Occasionally a brief 
but considerable flight is seen near the coast in the fall, but 
very few ever come back in the spring. Mr. Mackay says 
that until 1904 probably not forty blue-winged teal have 
been seen on Hantucket in fifteen years. 
Green-winged teal, Mr. Gerry says, were formerly very 
plentiful, but he has not seen one now for five years. In 
1870 Mr. E. A. Samuels regarded this bird as “ quite abun- 
dant ” 1 in the spring and autumn migrations in Hew Eng- 
land. How it is rare, and seems to be going out. I have 
not seen one in Massachusetts for years. Occasionally a few 
birds are seen, and now and then one is shot. Mr. Mackay 
says it was formerly common but is now very rare. 
The Mergansers ( Subfamily Mergince). — The mergan- 
sers, sheldrakes or fish ducks are still not uncommon, the 
red-breasted merganser being abundant off the coast in the 
migrations. These birds are expert divers, breed far north, 
and most of them do not go far south. They are well able 
to take care of themselves. The American merganser, goos- 
ander or pond sheldrake was formerly very common on ponds 
and rivers, and once bred in the State. It is still seen in 
1 “ Birds of New England,” E. A. Samuels, p. 493. 
