108 ANATID^E 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



Adult male nuptial. Top of head, greyish ; throat, much 

 the same shade ; white crescent-shaped patch in front of eye ; 

 rest of cheeks and neck * french ' grey ; back, mottled with 

 light red ; on each wing there is a broad white stripe and 

 a bronze green patch, wing-coverts, as described by Mr. 

 Saunders ' lapis lazuli ' blue (far more vivid than in our 

 Garganey). Breast and abdomen, pale reddish. 



Adult male, post-nuptial or eclipse. Resembles the 

 female plumage, but the wings are brighter in colour. 



Adult female nuptial. The female is speckled brown 

 and light yellow and the eye-stripe is ill-defined. 



Adult winter, male and female. Similar to the respec- 

 tive nuptial plumage. 



Immature, male and female. Resembles the adult female 

 plumage, but the lustrous blue speculum is wanting. 



BEAK. Black. 



FEET. Yellowish. 



IRIDES. Brown. 



EGGS. Pale yellowish-white : clutch, eight to twelve. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH 16 in. 



WING 7-5 



BEAK T75 ,, 



TABSO-METATARSUS 1-2 



EGG 1-85 x 1'35 in. 



GARGANEY. Querquedula circia (Linnaeus). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. v, 

 pi. 17 ; Dresser, ' Birds of Europe,' vol. vi, pi. 427 ; Lil- 

 ford, ' Coloured Figures,' vol. vii, pi. 39. 



This pretty little Duck not much larger than the Teal- 

 is generally known as a spring migrant. It is very rare in 

 winter, a season when most species of Ducks are to be seen 

 about our shores. The Garganey is seldom met with in 

 autumn on its migration southward. Like the Teal it 

 frequents both fresh and tidal waters : it has been recorded 

 mainly from maritime counties or at any rate from those 



