480 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



more usual and brilliant plumage : in the present 

 species the beautiful glossy green of the head and 

 neck is changed to a brown ground colour spotted 

 with darker brown, and the white scapular feathers 

 become dusky The female has much the appear- 

 ance of the common Wild Duck, all the feathers of 

 the upper parts being dark dusky in their centres, 

 margined with pale yellowish brown ; the wing- 

 coverts and speculum much resemble those of the 

 male, but are not so bright ; all the under parts are 

 pale yellowish brown. The young males are at first 

 like the females, but assume their proper colour after 

 their first autumn moult. 



The eggs are buffy white, tinged with green, and 

 are rather smaller than those of the Wild Duck. 



GAD WALL, Anas strepera. This is undoubtedly a 

 very rare Duck in our county, as it is in England 

 generally : it has, however, occasionally, though very 

 seldom, made its appearance here. Mr. Sanford has 

 one specimen in his collection at Ninehead Court, 

 which was killed in the marsh, and bought by him 

 in the flesh ; and I saw some time ago, at one of 

 the birdstuffers at Taunton. a female Gad wall which 

 he said had been shot near Dunster. There are also 

 a pair of these birds in the collection of the Archae- 

 ological Museum at Taunton, but there is no record 

 of when or where they were obtained. 



The food of the Gadwall seems not to differ much 

 from that of the other Ducks, consisting mostly of 



