292 FEATHERED GAME 



over the Northern Hemisphere, and breeding 

 throughout its range, this duck is an uncommon 

 visitant in the eastern and coast waters of our 

 continent north of South Carolina. Here is 

 another case of discrimination against the New 

 England gunner, for in our section it is even 

 more rarely found. In a twenty years' ac- 

 quaintance with one of the best duck-shooting 

 ponds of the New England States I have heard 

 of only three Gadwalls being taken there, have 

 seen but five birds which had been killed in this 

 locality, and have never seen the bird in life 

 in these waters. Its home is through the cen- 

 tral and western portions of our country, from 

 our prairies north to the Saskatchewan. 



It is a fine table bird, ranking well up at the 

 head of the list. Not far removed from the 

 mallard in kin, and of about the same size, the 

 female somewhat resembles the female of that 

 species in markings and dress. They come well 

 to mallard decoys and often mix with mallards 

 in flight and on the feeding grounds. The notes 

 of the two are nearly identical. Both are shoal 

 water feeders, seldom diving but getting their 

 living along the banks and edges of the lakes 

 or by " tipping ' ' in the shallows. 



