00.2 BHITISII BIRDS. 



to",the American Green-wiugcd Teal (A. caro/inensis) . The second (Gibson, 

 ' Naturalist/ 1858, p. 168) Avas probably that of a Garganey, shot near 

 Dumfries early in 1858. The third (Gray, ' B. West of Scotland/ 

 p. 373) is more satisfactory : the bird was shot in Dumfriesshire, in 

 January 1863, by a Mr. Shaw, and passed through the hands of a bird- 

 stuffer into the collection of Sir AVilliam Jardine. Sanndcrs appears to 

 have ascertained that there is an error of five years in the date ; and he 

 has satisfactorily disposed of the last alleged occurrence of this bird 

 (Nelson, 'Zoologist/ 188,2, p. 92) at Redcar, the example proving on ex- 

 amination to be an immature Garganey. The egg of the Blue-winged Teal 

 is indistinguishable from that of the Garganey. 



Tlie Garganey differs very slightly in its habits from the other freshwater 

 Ducks, but it has some slight peculiarities of its 'own. It is one of the 

 species which are more susceptible to cold than others of its congeners ; it 

 does not venture into the high north, and even in Geruiany it seldom 

 arrives from its winter-quarters before April, and disappears again before 

 the November frosts have begun. Though widely distributed, it cannot 

 be regarded as a very common species ; and though it is as gregarious as 

 its relatives, it is not seen in such large flocks as many of them are. It is 

 one of the least shy of the European Wild Ducks, and allows itself 

 frequently to be approached within gunshot ; but it is partly compensated 

 for its tameness on the water by the wonderful swiftness of its flight in the 

 air, in which it is surpassed by none of its congeners. Although its flight 

 is so rapid, it is almost noiseless; and in other respects the Garganey is a 

 somewhat silent bird. Its quack is not so loud as that of the Mallard, 

 but is in a slightly higher key ; it may be represented by the syllable 

 knake, whence the German name of this Duck, Kndk-Ente. It is generally 

 uttered singly, but sometimes repeated twice. The quack is common to 

 both sexes, but in the breeding-season the male utters a harsh grating 

 note resembliug kr-r-r. The food of the Garganey is the same as that of 

 its congeners, partly insects and other animal food, partly the buds of 

 AVater-plants and other vegetable substances. 



Like most other Ducks, the adult Garganeys pair in mid-winter, but the 

 young not until spring. The first eggs are seldom laid before ]May. The 

 nest is placed in a variety of positions — hidden under a bush or in thick grass 

 or sedge ; far away from water in the forest or among the corn ; anywhere 

 and everywhere where a hidden retreat can be found. At Riddagshausen, 

 near Brunswick, I found a nest on the flat mossy margin of one of my 

 friend Nehrkorn's lakes without the slightest cover of any kind ; and Lord 

 Walsingham showed me a nest near one of his lakes in South Norfolk in 

 short heath. The nest is made very deep, and is lined with dead grass 

 and leaves, to which is afterwards added plenty of down. The number of 

 eggs varies from eight to twelve, or sometimes fourteen. They are huffish 

 white or cream-colour. They vary in length from TO to \-7 inch, and in 



