108 ANATIDA 
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 
Adult male nuptial.—Top of head, greyish ; throat, much 
the same shade; white crescent-shaped patch in front of eye; 
rest of cheeks and neck ‘ french’ grey; back, mottled with 
light red; on each wing there is a broad white stripe and 
a bronze green patch, wing-coverts, as described by Mr. 
Saunders ‘lapis lazuli’ blue (far more vivid than in our 
Garganey). Breast and abdomen, pale reddish. 
Adult male, post-nuptial or eclipse—Resembles the 
female plumage, but the wings are brighter in colour. 
Adult female nuptial—The female is speckled brown 
and light yellow and the eye-stripe 1s ill-defined. 
Adult winter, male and female.—Similar to the respec- 
tive nuptial plumage. 
Immature, male and female.—Resembles the adult female 
plumage, but the lustrous blue speculum is wanting. 
Beak. Black. 
FEET. Yellowish. 
IRIDES. Brown. 
Kees. Pale yellowish-white : clutch, eight to twelve. 
AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 
TOTAL LENGTH ... £55 oe 
6 in. 
WING < ae one oO meee 
BEAK ee eS Rese a oes 
TARSO-METATARSUS ; a 
EGe 1°85 13a em 
GARGANEY. Quwerquedula circia (Linneeus). 
Coloured Figuwres.—Gould, ‘ Birds of Great Britain,’ vol. v, 
pl. 17; Dresser, ‘ Birds of Europe,’ vol. vi, pl. 427; Lil- 
ford, ‘ Coloured Figures,’ vol. vii, pl. 39. 
This pretty little Duck—not much larger than the Teal— 
is generally known as a spring migrant. It is very rare in 
winter, a season when most species of Ducks are to be seen 
about our shores. The Garganey is seldom met with in 
autumn on its migration southward. Like the Teal it 
frequents both fresh and tidal waters: it has been recorded 
mainly from maritime counties or at any rate from those 
