414 GADWAT.L. 



during the cold season in suitable localities, such as rush-grown lakes 

 and pools ; its migrations extending to the inland waters of Northern 

 Africa and up the Nile valley to Nubia. To Northern Germany it 

 is chiefly a summer-visitor, becoming more abundant in Central and 

 Eastern Europe ; while in the temperate regions of Asia it is met 

 with as far as the Pacific, and is one of the most plentiful species 

 in India during the cold season. Across North America it is 

 generally distributed, passing southward to the West Indies and 

 Mexico in winter. 



The nest, made of grass and lined with down, is generally in a 

 dry place at some little distance from the water ; and the eggs, 8-13 

 in number, are of a bufifish-white, tinged with evanescent green when 

 fresh : average measurements 2"i by i'5 in. The Gadwall is a lover 

 of fresh-water, and much addicted to concealing itself among thick 

 reeds and aquatic herbage. Its migrations are nocturnal, and it 

 also feeds by night — chiefly on seeds, grain, rice, and other vege- 

 table matter ; consequently its fiesh is excellent. The call-note 

 resembles that of the Mallard, but is rather more shrill and fre- 

 quently repeated : whence the bird's specific name of strepera. 



The adult male in spring has the beak lead-colour ; irides hazel ; 

 head and upper neck light brown with darker mottlings ; back 

 marked with crescents of light grey on a dark ground ; median wing- 

 coverts chestnut, greater coverts almost black \ primaries brown ; 

 secondaries brown and black — the outer webs forming a -loJiite 

 speculum ; inner secondaries pointed and of two shades of brownish- 

 grey, the darker colour occupying the centre of each feather, the 

 lighter colour forming the margin ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 bluish-black ; tail-feathers dark brown, with paler edges ; lower neck 

 dark grey, each feather with lighter crescentic margins ; breast and 

 belly white ; flanks and vent marbled with two shades of grey ; 

 under tail-coverts bluish-black ; legs, toes and webs dull orange. 

 In summer the female plumage is assuined. Length 21 in.; wing 

 io"4 in. The female has the head and upper neck spotted with 

 dark brown, on a paler surface ; the crescentic bands on the lower 

 part of the neck alternately dark and light brown, but broader than 

 in the male ; under parts white ; feathers of the lower hind-neck 

 and upper parts brown, with paler margins ; specuban white., as in 

 the male ; tail-feathers dark brown, with pale edges. The young are 

 of a more uniform reddish-brown colour above, speckled with dark 

 brown ; the middle of each feather also is dark brown ; and the 

 characteristic white speculum is always present. 



