AMERICAN GREEN- WINGED TEAL. 
283 
or the Sora of the Delaware to the Scolopaceous Courlan of the Florida 
everglades. 
On land, the Green-wing moves with more ease and grace than any other 
species with which I am acquainted, excepting our beautiful Wood Duck. 
It can run at a good rate, without entangling its webbed feet, as many others 
do ; and in this, too, there is a marked difference between fresh-water and 
salt-water Ducks, as one may very readily perceive. On the water, also, it 
moves with great ease, at times with considerable rapidity, and when not 
severely wounded, is able to dive in a very creditable manner. On wing it 
has no rivals among Ducks. Our two smaller Mergansers, however, are 
swifter, although they exhibit none of the graceful movements every now 
and then shown by the Green-wings, when «coursing in the air over and 
around a pond, a river, or a large wet savannah. They rise from the water 
at a single spring, and so swiftly, too, that none but an expert marksman 
need attempt to shoot them, if when starting they are many yards distant. 
While feeding, they proceed in a close body along the shores, or wherever 
the water is so shallow that they can reach the bottom with ease. In savan- 
nahs or watery fields intersected by dry ridges, they remove from one pool 
to another on foot, unless the distance is considerable ; and in effecting the 
transit, they run so huddled together, as to enable a gunner to make great 
havoc among them. When the cravings of hunger are satisfied, they retire 
to some clean part of the shore, or a sand-bar, where they rest in perfect 
harmony, each individual composing its dress, and afterwards, with wings 
slightly drooping, placing its breast to the sun. There they remain for an 
hour or more at a time, some sound asleep, some dozing, but rarely without 
a trusty sentinel watching over their safety. In this manner they spend 
the winter months in the Southern and Western Countries. There, indeed, 
they are far more abundant than in our eastern districts, just because the 
climate is milder, the human population more dispersed, and the damp 
fields, meadows, and savannahs more abundant. 
The migrations of this species are performed more over the land than 
along the borders of the sea; and it is probable that its principal breeding- 
places are in the interior of the Fur Countries ; as it has been met there by 
Sir Edward Parry, Sir James Ross, Dr. Richardson, and other intrepid 
travellers. Some, however, remain on our great lakes, and I have seen indi- 
viduals breeding on the banks of the Wabash, in Illinois, where I found a 
female and young, all of which I obtained. It was not far above Vincennes, 
in the month of July. On Lakes Erie and Michigan, nests containing egg3 
have also been found ; but these may have been cases in which the birds 
were unable to proceed farther north, on account of wounds or other circum- 
stances, or because of the early period at which they might have paired 
