. The birds of America : from drawings made in the United States and their territories . s being more elevated and less marshy than those farther friend Dr. Bachman informs me that they are rather plentiful in SouthCarolina, where they are considered good eating, and where they arrive inthe beginning of October, but are more frequently met with at that season,and in early spring, than during winter, when a single individual may some-times be seen in a flock of other Ducks. While we were in Texas, in the latter part of April and the beginning ofMay, we found the Gadwall quite abundant
. The birds of America : from drawings made in the United States and their territories . s being more elevated and less marshy than those farther friend Dr. Bachman informs me that they are rather plentiful in SouthCarolina, where they are considered good eating, and where they arrive inthe beginning of October, but are more frequently met with at that season,and in early spring, than during winter, when a single individual may some-times be seen in a flock of other Ducks. While we were in Texas, in the latter part of April and the beginning ofMay, we found the Gadwall quite abundant on all the inland ponds andstreams, as well as on the brackish pools and inlets of the islands and shoresof Galveston Bay. Many of them had paired and separated from the otherDucks; and I was assured that this species breeds there, as does the DuskyDuck, the Mallard, the Blue-winged Teal, the Widgeon, and the Shoveller,the young of all these species being plentiful in the end of June and begin-ning of July. I was satisfied as to the truth of the repeated assurances I had % oo ,V >. GADWALL DUCK. 255 received on this subject, by observing the manners of individuals of allthese species before my departure from that country. After a continuanceof rainy weather, Gad walls are found in great numbers on the vast prairiesof Oppelousas and Attacapas, where I have been told they continue untilvery late in spring, and some remain to breed. This species dives well on occasion, especially on being wounded. At theappearance of danger, it rises on wing—whether from the ground or fromthe water—at a single spring, in the manner of the Mallard, and, like it also,ascends almost perpendicularly for several yards, after which it moves off ina direct course with great celerity. I have never seen it dive on seeing theflash of the gun; but when approached it always swims to the opposite partof the pond, and, when the danger increases, flies off. On being wounded,it sometimes by diving makes it
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