24 



BIRD NAMES. 



next it also similar to drake ; but the black more limited, and 

 the maroon tint but slightly indicated or absent. Under surface 

 of body white, spotted more or less completely with brown. 

 Breast and all remaining parts of plumage (excepting certain 

 plain brown wing feathers) mottled with dusky grayish brown 

 and light yellowish brown. Legs pale yellow. Bill dusky 

 brown above, with edges and under part yellow. 



Length about twenty -two inches ; extent thirty-four to thirty- 

 five inches. 



"Nearly cosmopolitan. In North America breeds chiefly 

 within the United States" (A. O. U. Check List). 



GADWALL (spelled also " Gad well," " Gad wale," etc.) : GRAY 

 DUCK (see Nos. 6, 13). These two are its book names. The first 

 mentioned,which is pre-eminently "booky," I find used at Chicago 

 even by marketmen and gunners ; and the latter name at Chi- 

 cago, on the Illinois River, and by some at Savannah, Ga. 



Though rather a rare visitant on Long Island, it is known 

 (when it does apgear) at Moriches as SPECKLE-BELLY, and at Sea- 

 ford (Hempstead) as CREEK DUCK; the latter being a common 

 name also at Morehead, N. C., and in the vicinity of Savannah. 



On the coast of New Jersey, at Barnegat, Tuckerton, and 

 Atlantic City, it has long been known as the BLATEN DUCK 

 (blatant, or bleating, like " gtrepera? from its obstreperousness) ; 

 and Giraud (1844) speaks of its being called "WELSH DRAKE or 

 GERMAN DUCK" at Egg Harbor. I have made numerous in- 

 quiries for these last two names among the Jersey coast duckers, 

 but have found no one who remembered having heard either of 

 them. 



At Wilmington, N. C., and at Savannah, WIDGEON (see our 

 widgeon of the books, No. 8 ; also Nos. 12, 13, IT, 31). Called 

 also at Savannah GRAY WIDGEON (see No. 13); four aliases 

 being used, therefore, in this locality : Gray Duck, Creek Duck, 

 Widgeon, and Gray Widgeon. 



I am told by S. E. Topping, of Moriches, that this duck is 

 known in Mobile as the " Chickcock ;" and Captain Robert L. 

 Petty, of Bellport, tells of hearing it called " Chickacock " at 



