PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 201 



3. Migration. A scarce resident, breeding very locally : also a regular 

 winter visitor and a bird of passage from Northern Europe, arriving some time 

 between 17th September and llth October, but exceptionally as early as llth August 

 (cf. Clarke, Studies in Bird-Migration, 1912, vol. i. p. 160). As a winter visitor 

 to Great Britain it is chiefly found on the coasts, but even there it is nowhere 

 abundant : the autumn immigrants rarely linger long in the north of Scotland. 

 A good many birds, indeed, appear to pass right through our area, as an increase 

 in numbers is noticeable in spring : even in the south this return passage lasts till 

 mid- April (cf. Ticehurst, B. of Kent, 1909, p. 354). In Ireland it is commonest 

 in February, but is very local, though the localities are widespread : the southern 

 and western districts are the most favoured (cf. Ussher and Warren, B. of Ireland, 

 1900, p. 196 ; and Saunders, III. Man. B. B., 2nd ed., 1899, p. 429). A report on 

 the results of marking large numbers of pintail in Denmark is awaited with 

 interest. Usually recorded in small parties of from two or three birds to a score 

 or more. [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. The nest is usually placed on the ground in a dry 

 place, sometimes sheltered by the surrounding vegetation or under cover of a low 

 bush. It is constructed by the duck, and dry grasses and other vegetable matter 

 are used, together with a good supply of down, which is dull sooty-brown in colour, 

 lighter than that of the longtailed-duck, and with whitish centres. (Pis. U'aiid 

 LXVH.) Some feathers show a brown bar with extension down the shaft to che 

 tip ; others have a median blotch and a bar with median extension, almost in the 

 shape of a fleur-de-lys. The eggs are usually buffish or yellowish green, but some 

 clutches are cream coloured without any green tinge. The clutch generally con- 

 sists of 7 to 10 eggs, which are decidedly smaller than those of the mallard, but 

 do not differ much in size from those of the shoveler and wigeon. Average size of 

 101 eggs, 2-16 x 1-52 in. [55x38'8 mm.]. (PI. T.) Incubation is performed by the 

 duck only, and lasts 22 to 23 days according to Heinroth. Hantzsch gives 3J 

 weeks, and Naumann says that it is less than four weeks. The breeding season 

 is rather early, and full clutches may be found in the first few days of May in 

 Scotland and Denmark, but in the north of Europe they may be found in early 

 June, and Seebohm took eggs on the Yenisei in July. Only one brood is reared 

 during the season. [F. c. R. J.] 



5. Food. Insects and their larvae, molluscs, small Crustacea, and water- 

 plants, especially Equisetum. The young feed at first mainly on insects and their 

 larvae, [w. P. p.] 



