GARGANEY 109 
not far from the coasts. It seems to be rarer in Scotland,! 
Wales, and Ireland, than in England. In Iveland it has 
been recorded from the following counties :—Clare, Cork, 
Carlow, Wicklow, Dublin, King’s Co., Westmeath, Mayo, 
Fermanagh and Down (Ussher). 
In England, Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincoln, and Yorkshire, 
are visited most regularly. In its habits the Garganey 
strongly resembles the Teal. Its flight is rapid; its pose on 
the water buoyant; and of man, boat, or dog, 1t exhibits no 
ereat dread. Thus with reference to three Garganey shot 
by Sir R. Payne-Gallwey in Cork Harbour, in March, 1878, 
he mentions that ‘they were very tame and allowed me to 
kill two of them on the water, and a third flying, from an 
ordinary boat, with a shoulder-gun”’ (‘ Fowler in Ireland,’ 
. 63). 
4 The drake Garganey may be distinguished from the Teal 
on the water, by the white stripe which extends from above 
the eye backwards and downwards along the neck. The 
female is more difficult to recognise. 
Flight.—The flight is very rapid and on the wing the 
Garganey might easily be mistaken for the Teal. 
Food.—The food consists chiefly of fish and molluscs, 
with very little vegetable matter. 
Asa bird for the table this Duck is not considered good 
by some authorities, while by others it is highly esteemed. 
Voice.—The name of ‘ Cricket Teal’ has been applied to 
this species on account of the curious vibratile or rattling 
sound produced by the drake’s voice in the spring. 
Nest—This bird nests on marshy low-lands, also 
in drier and more elevated districts among heather. Its 
breeding-haunts, in fact, resemble those of the Teal. The 
nest is made chiefly of dry grass and is lined with down. 
The eggs, eight to thirteen in number, are creamy-white 
in colour. Incubation begins about the end of April. 
The Garganey is a rare British nesting-species. But to 
Norfolk, where protection is afforded it—and particularly in 
the ‘ Broad’ district—this Duck resorts annually to breed, 
while in the following counties there is also evidence that 
it probably has nested :—Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Cambridge- 
shire, Huntingdonshire, Warwickshire, Hampshire and 
Yorkshire. 
' This Duck was not observed in Scotland until March, 1841, when 
four were shot near Stirling (Macgillivray). 
