Anseres 151 



This species occurs throughout the United Kingdom, 

 and in Europe, Asia, north Africa, and North America, 

 avoiding, however, the Arctic and tropical portions. As 

 it is the origin of a great many of our tame ducks, we 

 are quite familiar with its quack, but it generally 

 sleeps in the day and feeds at other times. It is not 

 particular whether its food is animal or vegetable, 

 seeds and herbage, worms, insects, slugs, frogs, or even 

 fishes being eaten. The nest, built from March on- 

 wards, is composed of grass and lined with down ; it 

 contains nearly or quite a dozen grey-green eggs, and 

 is placed among rough herbage on the ground ; excep- 

 tionally a hollow tree or deserted bird's nest is chosen. 

 When a duck leaves her eggs she covers them with 

 the down, if time is given her. In winter our native 

 birds are joined by large numbers of migrants from 

 abroad. 



The Gadwall (A . strepera), a brown bird mottled in the 

 male with grey, with a chestnut bar on the wing followed 

 by one of white, and with white lower parts, now breeds 

 not only in Norfolk, where it was introduced some 

 sixty years ago, but also in other parts of the kingdom, 

 including even northern Scotland. Except for these 

 breeding individuals the bird is only locally common, 

 though it may occur in any county. It ranges over 

 temperate Europe, Asia, and North America, avoiding 

 as a rule the coldest districts as well as the hottest, but 

 remaining for the summer in Iceland and the south of 

 Spain. This species is almost restricted to fresh water 

 and breeds near lakes and swamps, though usually in 

 long grass, bracken, nettles, rushes or other cover ; the 

 eggs are smaller and more elongated than those of the 

 Wild Duck, and of a rich cream-colour. The food is 



