THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 81 



1901, 1 but some unprincipled gunner killed the female before she had 

 laid any eggs. Mr. W. W. Justice, Jr., tells me that some are reported 

 nesting every year on the shores of Barnegat Bay. At the mouth of 

 the Egg Harbor River a nest with a full set of eggs was found May, 

 22d, 1908, by Mr. R. T. Moore. 2 Mr. W. B. Crispin reports young 

 birds seen by residents near Salem, but he never found a nest. 



135 Chaulelasmus streperus (Linnaeus). 

 Gadwall, Gray Duck. 



Adult male. Length, 19-21. Wing, 10-11. Head brownish-white, darker 

 above, thickly speckled with black ; breast, neck, scapulars and fore part of 

 back black, thickly covered with concentric white marks producing a scaled ap- 

 pearance ; lower back, dull brown ; upper and lower tail-coverts, black ; abdo- 

 men, white ; sides vermiculated, black and white ; a white wing speculum pre- 

 ceded by a black patch and some chestnut edgings. 



Adult female. Head buff or slightly rufous, finely speckled with black; 

 upper parts, blackish-brown ; feathers all edged and spotted with buff or cin- 

 namon ; wing speculum brown edged, with black and buffy white ; greater- 

 coverts edged with cinnamon ; under parts, dull white ; breast and neck buff 

 and speckled with black ; sides like the back. 



Rare transient. Individuals are occasionally shot on the coast or on 

 Delaware Bay. 



One was obtained early in March, 1900, on Delaware Bay. 3 



136 Mareca penelope (Linnaeus). 

 European Widgeon. 



Adult male. Length, 18-20. Wing, 10-11. Head, light chestnut; crown, 

 white; back and sides finely vermiculated with white and black, much lighter 

 than in the Baldpate ; breast, vinaceous ; abdomen, white ; speculum glossy 

 green, bordered before and behind with black ; wing-coverts, white. 



A rare straggler from Europe. 



Turnbull (1869) says some are met with almost every season. 



One was obtained in 1855 in the Philadelphia market, apparently 



1 Cassinia, 1901, p. 48. 

 2 Cassinia, 1908, p. 29. 



3 Abst. Proc. Del. Valley Orn. Club, IV., p. 4. 



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