286 THE SHELDUCK AND SURFACE-FEEDING DUCKS 



In its habits the garganey resembles both the teal and the 

 shoveler, and, like the latter, it loves to gutter in boggy swamps 

 and backwaters. But while the shoveler apparently consumes large 

 quantities of water-fleas and other minute floating Crustacea, as 

 well as other microscopic types of animal and vegetable organisms, 

 the garganey seems to prey rather on insects and their larvae, worms, 

 small frogs and their spawn, small fish, and molluscs. True, the 

 shoveler also eats these, but in smaller quantities. In other words, 

 the garganey is less a vegetarian apparently than his congeners, but 

 it is certain that the terminal shoots of water-plants are eaten. 

 That this is so is shown rather by the taste of its flesh, which by 

 common consent is rank, than by actual observation, for the records 

 of its food given by various authors vary so much that we may take 

 it for granted much of what has been stated on this head is pure 

 guess-work. That an animal diet invariably imparts a disagreeable 

 flavour to the flesh of ducks is shown by the fact that the wigeon 

 of the north-west of Scotland, which perforce live largely on cockles, 

 are uneatable, while birds killed elsewhere afford the best of all 

 table birds. Similarly, the eider, which is almost entirely a " meat " 

 eater, is anything but palatable, but kept in confinement and fed 

 on barley and wheat, it quickly becomes transformed into one of 

 the most delectable of ducks ! 



In its flight the garganey resembles the shoveler, but is far 

 swifter, and peculiarly noiseless on the wing. It cannot, however, 

 compare with the teal for agility in effecting sudden turns, or in 

 rising from the water. When swimming it floats high, but it does 

 not appear to dive, save after the fashion common to the surface- 

 feeding ducks and swans, that is to say, by submerging the forepart 

 of the body till the long axis of the body is at right angles with 

 the water. 



It courts like the shoveler. Mr. J. G. Millais, who has closely 

 studied its habits at this time, tells us that the drake swims closely 

 round his prospective mate, spreading his long scapulars and ruffling 



