GADWALL. 255 



are, however, occasionally to be met with on our eastern 

 coast, and not uncommonly in the London Markets, bir 

 some of these latter birds are very probably brought from 

 Holland, where they are known to be rather common, 

 and from whence a considerable quantity of wild-fowl of 

 different sorts is sent to this country for sale throughout 

 the season for working decoys. Sir William Jardine men- 

 tions, in a note appended to this species in his edition of 

 Wilson's American Ornithology, that in Holland, in Sep- 

 tember and October, this is the most common Duck in the 

 markets, and that they were observed to be abundant on 

 the lakes. The eastern parts of Europe seem to be the 

 more favourite localities with this species. M. Vieillot 

 says that it is not uncommon on the coast of France in the 

 month of November, if the weather is rough. In Swit- 

 zerland, according to Professor Schinz, it is more frequent- 

 ly seen in autumn than in winter. At Genoa and in Italy 

 it is observed rather as a bird of passage, in spring and in 

 autumn. It is observed at Corfu, Sicily, and Malta, in 

 winter. The Zoological Society have received specimens, 

 sent by Sir Thomas Reade from North Africa. Messrs. 

 Dickson and Ross found this species at Erzeroum in March. 

 The Russian naturalists observed it in the countries of 

 the Caucasus. It has been found in the north-western 

 parts of India, and at Calcutta ; and Colonel Sykes in- 

 cludes it in his Catalogue of the Birds of the Dukhun, 

 where it is seen in flocks. It is said to be abundant in 

 the vast marshes of the North of Europe, but does not 

 go far to the west of the Baltic, as M. Nilsson says that 

 it is rare in Sweden ; and Mr. Dann tells me that he 

 never met with this species in Norway or Lapland. Has 

 been in Scotland. It is rare in the western parts of the 

 British Islands ; it has but rarely been killed in Ireland ; 

 only occasionally in Cornwall or Devon, but more fre- 



