218 PINTAIL DUCK.
with brownish-black and light yellowish-brown, the margin of the feathers,
and a mark on each side of the shaft being of the latter colour ; the
speculum is dusky green, margined behind with white; the primary quills
greyish-brown. The lower parts are of a light brownish-yellow, the
sides variegated with brown, the bill is black, the iris brown, the feet light
bluish-grey.
Length 22£ inches, extent of wings 34. Weight 1 lb. 9 oz.
( 219 )
THE GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
ANAS CRECCA, LINN.
PLATE CCXXVIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
NOTHING can be more pleasing to an American sportsman, than the
arrival of this beautiful little duck in our Southern or Western States.
There, in the month of September, just as the sun sinks beneath the horizon,
you may find him standing on some mote or embankment of a ricefield
in Carolina, or a neck of land between two large ponds in Kentucky,
his gun loaded with number four, and his dog lying at his feet. He sees
advancing from afar, at a brisk rate, a small dark cloud, which he has
some minutes ago marked and pronounced to be a flock of Green-winged
Teals. Now he squats on his haunches ; his dog lies close ; and ere another
minute has elapsed, right over his head, but too high to be shot at,
pass the winged travellers. Some of them remember the place well, for
there they have reposed and fed before. Now they wheel, dash irregularly
through the air, sweep in a close body over the watery fields, and in
their course pass near the fatal spot where the gunner anxiously awaits.
Hark, two shots in rapid succession ! The troop is in disorder, and the dog
dashes through the water. Here and there lies a Teal, with its legs
quivering; there, one is whirling round in the agonies of death ; some,
which are only winged, quickly and in silence make their way towards a
hiding-place, while one, with a single pellet in his head, rises perpendicularly
with uncertain beats, and falls with a splash on the water. The
gunner has charged his tubes, his faithful follower has brought up all
the game, and the frightened Teals have dressed their ranks, and flying
now high, now low, seem curious to see the place where their companions
have been left. Again they fly over the dangerous spot, and again receive
the double shower of shot. Were it not that darkness has now set
in, the carnage might continue until the sportsman should no longer consider
the thinned flock worthy of his notice. In this manner, at the first
arrival of the Green-winged Teal in the Western Country, I have seen
upwards of six dozen shot by a single gunner in the course of one day.
I have often thought that water-birds, ducks for example, like landbirds
which migrate in flocks, are very apt to pass over the place where