582 BRITISH BIRDS. 



up and brouglit to tlie surface, where the leaves and buds are pulled off at 

 leisure. 



The call-note of the Gadwall is a quack, very similar to that of the 

 Mallard, but weaker. When a flock of birds is feeding they often keep up 

 a perpetual chatter. 



The nest of the Gadwall is placed under some convenient bush, or 

 beneath the shelter of a tuft of coarse grass or rushes, at no great distance 

 from the water's edge. In rare instances it is made at some considerable 

 distance from water. The nest is a mere depression in the ground, pro- 

 bably scratched out by the female, and lined with a little dry grass, bits of 

 reed or rush, and, in some cases, with a few dead leaves. The eggs of the 

 Gadwall are laid in May, frequently not before the end of the month. 

 They are from eight to twelve in number, smooth in texture, and slightly 

 glossy. They vary in length from 2* 15 to 1*95 inch, and in breadth from 

 1*55 to 1*4 inch. In colour they do not differ from those of the Wigeon, 

 being generally huffish white or cream-colour, though Naumann says that 

 they are slightly tinged with olive ; probably both types occur. The 

 down resembles that of the Mallard, but is rather smaller, and differs 

 from that of the Pintail in being darker and in having the white tips 

 scarcely perceptible. 



In winter, as in summer, the Gadwall prefers fresh water to the sea, and 

 sometimes congregates in flocks of several hundreds on large pieces of 

 water. Its flesh is excellent, especially, as Hume remarks, early in the 

 season, when its diet is almost exclusively vegetable. 



The Gadwall is intermediate in size between the Pintail and the Wigeon. 

 The general colour of the upper parts of the male in nuptial dress is brown, 

 barred and vermiculated with white, and gradually shading into black on 

 the upper tail-coverts ; the scapulars are margined with buff. The distri- 

 bution of the colours on the wing is very unique ; the first four secondaries 

 are brown on the outer web ; the second four, which form the centre of the 

 speculum, are velvety black ; and the third four are white ; this tricoloured 

 speculum is emphasized by the velvety black tips of the greater wing- 

 coverts, which gradually shades into reddish chestnut on the median wing- 

 coverts, and into grey on the shoulder. The upper breast is greyish black, 

 with crescentic white bars ; the nnderparts below the breast resemble the 

 Pintail. Bill brownish black, tinged with yellow on the loAver mandible ; 

 legs and feet orange-brown, darker on the webs ; irides reddish brown. The 

 general colour of the upper parts of the adult female is dark brown, each 

 feather with a buff margin, except the scapulars, the feathers of the rump, 

 which are brownish black, and the wings, which resemble those of the adult 

 male, except that the reddish chestnut is confined to a few of the median wing- 

 coverts. The general colour of the underpays is white, suffused with chest- 

 nut on the breast and flanks, which, together with the under tail-coverts. 



