480 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
more usual and brilliant plumage: in the present 
species the beautiful glossy green of the head and 
neck is changed to a brown ground colour spotted 
with darker brown, and the white scapular feathers 
become dusky. ‘The female has much the appear- 
ance of the common Wild Duck, all the feathers of 
the upper parts being dark dusky in their centres, 
margined with pale yellowish brown; the wing- 
coverts and speculum much resemble those of the 
male, but are not so bright; all the under parts are 
pale yellowish brown. The young males are at first 
hke the females, but assume their proper colour after 
their first autumn moult. 
The eggs are buffy white, tinged with green, and 
are rather smaller than those of the Wild Duck. 
GApDWALL, Anas strepera. ‘This is undoubtedly a 
very rare Duck in our county, as it is in England 
cenerally: it has, however, occasionally, though very 
seldom, made its appearance here. Mr. Sanford has 
one specimen in his collection at Ninehead Court, 
which was killed in the marsh, and bought by him 
in the flesh; and I saw some time ago, at one of 
the birdstuffers at Taunton. a female Gadwall which 
he said had been shot near Dunster. There are also 
a pair of these birds in the collection of the Arche- 
ological Museum at Taunton, but there is no record 
of when or where they were obtained. 
The food of the Gadwall seems not to differ much 
from that of the other Ducks, consisting mostly of 
