ANATID^E. 123 



pied specimens which have been killed in the neigh- 

 bourhood. A purely albino drake of this species 

 was shot on the ornamental water in Stoke Park a few 

 winters ago by Mr. Newman, of Datchet ; and a pied 

 Wild Duck is in the possession of Mr. Howard, of 

 Burnham, which was killed in that vicinity. 



The common Wild Duck has been known to breed 

 in confinement with the Egyptian Goose, the Pintail 

 and Muscovy Ducks, and the Shelldrake.* 



GARGANEY (Anas querqueduld). Not a common 

 species, but my friend the Rev. H. H. Crewe, of 

 Drayton Beauchamp, has enabled me to place it on 

 my list of winter visitants to these counties. 



The Garganey has been several times obtained on 

 the reservoirs at Marsworth and Wilstone in cold 

 weather, but I believe it has never been known to 

 frequent these sheets of water during the summer 

 months. 



TEAL (Anas creccd). This handsome little duck is 

 a regular winter visitor, and is often shot on the reser- 

 voirs, streams, and rivers of both counties. The Teal 

 does not often remain to nest in England, but I am 

 happy to be enabled to give more than one authen- 

 ticated instance of its breeding in Buckinghamshire. 

 In the summer of 1861 two nests of this species 

 were discovered among some moss and rank herbage 



* A capital account of the system of working the decoys, as prac- 

 tised formerly (and now to a certain extent) in Lincolnshire, Essex, &c. 

 is given by Yarrell in his ' British Birds,' vol. iii. pp. 265 268. 



