( 305 ) 



faintly barred with white ; primaries brown ; secondaries grayish- 

 brown, tipped with white ; middle coveits reddish-brown ; a few 

 of the outer secondaries broadly margined with greenish-black ; in- 

 ner scapulars brown, broadly margined with dull yellowish-brown ; 

 outer undulated with dark brown and yellowish-white ; feet dull 

 orange. Female two inches shorter, and about four inches less in 

 extent. Length twenty one inches and a half, wing eleven. 



In this vicinity, the Gadwall is quite rare — in the Southern States 

 it is more common. Wilson mentions having met with it at the Se- 

 neca Falls about the twentieth of October — ^at Louisville on the Ohio 

 — and the Big-Bone Lick in Kentucky, in February — these speci- 

 mens were males. 



" The Gadwall is an inhabitant of both continents. In England, 

 it is rare, but common on the coasts of France, Switzerland, and Sar- 

 dinia. Breeds in the woody districts of the remote northern Fur 

 countries of Canada. In the north of Europe, it inhabits the vast 

 rushy marshes — and in Holland, where this species is common, it 

 associates with the Mallard." My first acquaintance with this bird 

 was in 1834, while pursuing my favorite amusement of v>rater fowl 

 shooting in the celebrated South Bay. It was flying alone, seem- 

 ingly wandering about as if in search of companions. It passed 

 and repassed several times outside of my decoys, without approach- 

 ing within gun-shot, but sufficiently near to excite in me a desire 

 for having a better opportunity to examine it. I concealed myself 

 with great care, hoping that it w^ould approach within shooting dis- 

 tance, as 1 was induced to believe that it would, from the desire it 

 exhibited to join the motly flock which my ''decoys" represented; 

 but as it advanced, it appearetl to see that all was not right, and at 

 the moment when my hopes were the brightest, it quickly changed 

 its course, and alighted on a marsh about a half a mile from me. 

 I gave quick pursuit, and after wading through the tall grass and 

 mud, discovered it sitting on a bog, pluming and dressing its feath- 

 ers, unconscious of its impending fate. Its perfectly neat appear- 

 ance so engaged my attention, that I forgot that a gun was in my 

 possession, until it took to wing, when the desire to obtain it return- 

 ed, and I brought it down. On taking it up, although proud of this 

 39 



