19 1 8. BuRKiTT. — Notes On Birds. 145 



Gadwall. 

 I found on March 14th six males and four females in 

 the lakes near the seashore at Mullaghmore, south of 

 Donegal Bay (see map in Mr. Workman's paper on the 

 Woodcock in the June /. Nat.). It was my first acquaintance 

 with the bird, and I was puzzled b}^ there being no particle 

 of a white wing-spot on any of the males and only on one 

 of the females. On 6th April there were four of each sex 

 there (presumably the same flock) all evidently paired, but 

 only one of the drakes showed the white wing-spot and only 

 one more of the fem.ales showed a small spot. On May 

 3rd there were two pair — possibly a third, and all had 

 wing-spots distinct. On the 14th May I saw none. This 

 absence of the wing-spot in both sexes at certain seasons 

 seems either unnoticed by or contradictory to " the books." 

 As there is any amount of reeds and unwalkable swamp at 

 one part of the area I had hoped they were going to breed ; 

 though I had never seen them near the reed area, but 

 feeding in open shallows or asleep. 



Widgeon. 

 At the same place on May 22nd I was surprised to 

 see a male Widgeon feeding with Shoveller and Mallard 

 drakes, whose mates would be nesting in the vicinit}'. It 

 was not a winged bird, and a mate might be suspected ; 

 but for a casual visitor to attempt to seek for her would 

 have been futile. When he was disturbed he seemed to fly 

 to the hedge area and was not visible in the open. The 

 keeper, Mr. Bracken, told me that a young Widgeon had 

 been shot in August a couple of years ago. The place is 

 full of Widgeon in the winter. For several days in August, 

 but not after the i^th, I saw what was probably the same 

 Widgeon. In plumage it was then distinguishable at a 

 distance on the water mainly b}^ the white shoulder strip 

 and glimpses of the white lower breast, and in flight by 

 the white splash on the wings. 



POCHAPJD. 



On i6th August I saw at the same place one Pochard. 

 During the remainder of August I could detect neither the 

 Widgeon nor the Pochard, nor even any sign of comrades. 

 Therefore such instances may only mean non-breeding birds. 



