192 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



mistaken males in the post-nuptial plumage 

 for young birds. Drakes of many species 

 migrate before they have completely re- 

 acquired their normal male plumage, and 

 in this state they look ragged and partially 

 fledged, and might be easily mistaken for 

 young birds. 



The Garganey on the whole is perhaps 

 the commonest Duck in many parts of 

 India and Burma. In the latter country 

 it occurs in very large numbers ; and out 

 of a large bag of water fowl shot near 

 Mandalay, one Christmas week, fully one- 

 quarter was composed of Garganeys. 



The Garganey is chiefly found on large 

 pieces of water containing plenty of floating 

 weeds. I do not remember to have seen 

 it on the banks of rivers nor on clear 

 tanks. They are generally in flocks of 

 considerable size. 



Of the habits of this Duck in Europe, 

 Seebohm says : — " The Garganey differs 

 very slightly in its habits from the other 

 fresh-water 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 Germany it seldom arrives from its 

 winter quarters before April, and dis- 



