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THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 
Scoter Duck—The marine duck known as scoter is found in the northern 
part of each hemisphere. Its general color is black, with or without white on 
the wing. The American scoter, which is found both in North America and 
Japan, is distinguished by orange yellow at the base of the beak instead of 
blackish-blue. They arrive from their summer quarters in September and 
October and return in the following April and May. Islands in the rivers 
and lakes of the Arctic regions, where the ground is covered with dwarf 
birch and willow, form the favorite breeding-grounds of the scoters; and 
the eggs, which are usually from five to nine in number, are deposited in a 
mere hole in the ground; those of the common species being grayish-buff 
in color. Although rather awkward walkers, all the scoters fly with rapidity, 
and are fully equal to their allies in swimming and diving. Their food in 
winter consists of various small species of water life, and in summer of water- 
plants; their flesh being almost uneatable. 
Teal Duck—The beautiful little duck known as teal measures only about 
fourteen inches in length. The male is beautifully colored, having bright 
green bands bordered with buff on the side of the head, with black, green, 
purple and white showing in the wings, and the white breast spotted with 
black. The upper plumage of the female is two shades of brown. The teal 
is found all over Europe and Asia and eastern North America. The teal of 
Europe and Asia winter in India and North Africa. The American blue¬ 
winged teal is easily distinguished by its blue wing-coverts and a white 
crescent between the beak and eye. In western America is found a cinna¬ 
mon-teal with a chestnut-colored head. The common teal breeds either 
among reeds and sedge on the margin of lakes and swamps, or on boggy 
moors; the nest being a large structure composed of water-plants, lined with 
feathers or down, and the number of eggs in a clutch varying from eight to 
ten in Britain, and from ten to fifteen in Lapland. When unmolested, teal 
feed both by night and day, but when much shot at they become mainly 
nightly feeders. In India, where they arrive by thousands in the cold season, 
teal frequent large sheets of water in the daytime, and resort to rice-fields 
and shallow marshes in the evening. Nearly as swift on the wing as pintail, 
teal turn and twist in the air with a rapidity second only to the cotton-teal, 
and they have a habit after being flushed of dropping suddenly again. They 
swim easily, but not very rapidly, and they cannot dive to much purpose, so 
that a wounded bird, unless there are weeds near, under which it can lie 
with only the bill above water, has, as a rule, but a poor chance of escape. 
On the land, if the ground be fairly smooth, they walk with tolerable ease; 
