334 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



Hampshire during excessively severe weather 

 some four or five years ago. I received it from 

 him together with some wild-duck he kindly sent 

 me. I had it preserved and mounted by Mr. 

 Cullingford, of the Durham University Museum, 

 and returned it to the sender. The contrast 

 between the black and white in the plumage of 

 the adult male bird is very striking and hand- 

 some, a creamy tinge pervading the white, and 

 adding considerably to the beauty of the bird. 

 The smew is more duck-like in shape than the 

 goosander and red-breasted merganser, altogether 

 a trimmer, neater-looking bird. 



The garganey, otherwise called the summer 

 teal, visits this .country between the spring and 

 autumn only. It is seldom found in Ireland, and 

 both in England and Scotland it occurs chiefly on 

 the East coasts, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk 

 being the counties to which its visitations are 

 almost entirely restricted ; nor does it appear to 

 extend its migration very far North in Scotland. 

 Referring to this bird, Dixon says : ' The drainage 

 of fens and marshes has robbed the garganey of 

 nearly all its nesting-places in England. Like 

 the teal, it is remarkably trustful and tame. . . . 

 Water is by no means essential to the nesting- 

 place of this pretty bird.' And again : ' The eggs 

 are . . . undistinguishable from those of the teal. 

 The down in the nest, however, will readily 

 identify them. It is brown, with long white tips.' 

 Saunders states that the eggs of the garganey 

 are more creamy-white than those of the common 



