A Case of the Migration and Return of the European Teal in 
Massachusetts.— The following facts must be taken only for what they 
are worth, for unfortunately the data are incomplete. There is, however, 
no doubt in my mind that we are dealing with a case of the migration, 
and return to the place of birth, of a non-indigenous bird. 
In the spring of 1909, Mr. Thomas Johnston came over from England 
to enter my employment, and brought with him five pairs of live European 
Teal (Nettion crecca), together with some other water-fowl. These birds 
were bred in England on the estate of Sir Richard Graham in Cumberland 
County, where many interesting experiments in propagating water-fowl 
are in progress. . 
The teal suffered many vicissitudes of fortune, from various causes, and 
were reduced in 1910 to two pairs. These two pairs were kept with other 
water-fowl in a small, enclosed, artificial pond, in the orchard at Wenham, 
situated about 75 yards from the farm-house, 40 yards from the road, 
and a third of a mile from Wenham Lake. No other varieties of teal were 
kept. . 
About the middle of June, 1910, two downy young were led out into 
the pond by one of the female teal. These thrived amazingly and obtained 
their wings so soon that the first attempt at their capture, which was put 
off for fear of disturbing other fowl, resulted in finding that the youngsters 
were too spry for the net. They turned out to be both females, and were 
not disturbed again. They traded between the pond and Wenham Lake 
all the summer and fall, spending the greater part of their time in the 
enclosed pond and feeding on a mud flat on the eastern shore of the lake. 
They were perfectly tame while in the pond, and were only flushed with 
difficulty, but outside its boundaries they were as wild as any teal. 
On December 6, the pond, and also the lake, froze. The other fowl 
were placed in winter quarters the day before the freeze, and our teal 
vanished, as we thought for good. , . . 
On the morning of April 19, 1911, a single female teal was found in the 
pond, none of the other fowl having yet been released from winter quarters. 
This teal was perfectly at home and absolutely tame. She allowed close 
approach, and when actually flushed made the same characteristic flight 
to the lake, keeping only a few yards off the ground. In a short time she 
returned. At the present date, May 17, she is still with us. 
All that can be said is that this bird is a female green-winged teal, 
further identification being impossible as the plumage of the females of 
the American and European species is similar. I believe however that 
this returned bird is one of those that hatched in our pond, for the following 
reasons. 
First, its actions are exactly similar to the birds of the previous summer, 
and very different from those which a strange teal would exhibit. 
Second, it returned to a spot that no wild water-fowl have ever used. 
Third, it shows no disposition to migrate north. 
Fourth, the occurrence of Green-winged Teal in this locality in the 
spring is so rare that I have never met with one. 
It seems also far more likely that our bird migrated to at least a much 
warmer latitude, for it could not possibly have wintered here, especially 
during such a severe winter as that of 1910-11. It returned nearly four 
weeks after the ice was out of the ponds and rivers. 
Such cases, granted we are not mistaken, and also those where birds 
have successfully returned to their nests, when transported far beyond 
their natural range (see Watson, Carnegie Institute Publication No. 103, 
p. 227) force one to assume a directive sense in birds far beyond any¬ 
thing at present conceivable.— J. C. Phillips, Wenham, Mass. 
1 Munsell, Joel. The Annals of Albany. Albany, 1858, Vol. IX, p. 206. 
4^-yjq.or/.xxv/ h, w/ ft- 366-J67. 
