294 FIELD-STUDIES OF RARER BIRDS 



given by two authorities, who state that it is 

 (1) " light brown, with a centre star of white, the 

 filaments brown at the ends, not sil very- whitish, " 

 and (2) ' ' brownish-grey . . . with the tips almost 

 imperceptible.'* 



The small flank-feathers mixed with the down 

 are fairly numerous, and differ considerably. The 

 bulk, however, are satiny-white, with the faintest 

 of buff tips. Some, on the other hand, are uniform 

 white. Others, while lacking the buff lacing, sport 

 blackish-brown centres or irregular daubs of the 

 same colour on each side of the shaft near the 

 centre of the feather ; or else they are decorated 

 with a dark design which recalls a broad-bladed 

 spear-head, the point of which inclines towards the 

 base of the feather, while others, again, have a 

 black band near the tip. The eggs number from 

 seven to twelve, generally nine or ten, and they are 

 of an elegant creamy hue, not unlike the eggs of 

 the Wigeon, alfeeft-a trifle smaller. The full clutch 

 is generally complete between May 1st and lOtK 

 (Mr. Witherington has seen a late April nest), in 

 spite of what many of the books tell us about 

 Gadwalls not laying before the end of that month, 

 or indeed not until June. 



I know three cries of the Gad wall, and th 4 e 

 usual note is a rather querulous quack ; the second 

 is a quaint, trilling quer-r-r-r-r ; while the third, 

 uttered I think by the drake alone, and then but 

 in the breeding-season, is a quickly iterated 



