AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 181 



and March, but their principal breeding-grounds in 

 Europe are in the extreme north. I only once heard 

 any note from Pintails either in a wild state or in 

 captivity ; the instance in my mind was that of a lot 

 of five or six which came over my head at early dawn 

 with a low cackling noise resembling the undisturbed 

 and familiar conversation of Mallard at flighting- 

 time. In captivity these birds thrive well and are 

 said to breed freely ; but in this latter respect we 

 have had no better luck with this species tlian with 

 the many others on our wild-fowl ponds at Lilford. 

 I attribute this want of success in former years to 

 over-crowding on a very small piece of water in a 

 small enclosure, and the consequent laying of many 

 eggs by different species of Duck in the same iiests ; 

 but this would hardly account for the many deaths 

 of various young fowl after hatching. I have now 

 given my pinioned wild-fowl a considerably larger 

 range of both land and water, and hope for better 

 results. The flesh of the Pintail is as good as that 

 of any Duck that flies and feeds in Europe. 



Several more occurrences of this species near 

 Lilford have come to my knowledge since this article 

 was written. 



186. GARGANEY. SUMMER TEAL. 



Anas c/rcia. 



Tn concluding his list of Northamptonshire birds, 

 Morton writes : — "I had almost forgot the Summer 

 Teal : Anas circia^ Gesn., the smallest of all the 

 Duck kind, which altho' so rare Mr. Willughby had 

 never seen it, is oft(m f)und upon the Weland in the 



