250 ANATID.E. 



coast, and not uncommonly in the London markets, but 

 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 Wil- 

 son's American Ornithology, that in Holland, in September 

 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 Switzerland, ac- 

 cording to Professor Schinz, it is more frequently seen in 

 autumn than in winter. At Genoa and in Italy it is 

 observed rather as a bird of passage, in spring and in au- 

 tumn. 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 Erzerum 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. As 

 might be expected, 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- 

 quently in Kent, Essex, Suffolk, Cambridge and Norfolk. 



