GAEGANEY 109 



not far from the coasts. It seems to be rarer in Scotland, 1 

 Wales, and Ireland, than in England. In Ireland it has 

 been recorded from the following counties : Clare, Cork, 

 Carlow, Wicklow, Dublin, King's Co., Westmeath, Mayo, 

 Fermanagh and Down (Ussher). 



In England, Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincoln, and Yorkshire, 

 are visited most regularly. In its habits the Garganey 

 strongly resembles the Teal. Its flight is rapid ; its pose on 

 the water buoyant ; and of man, boat, or dog, it exhibits no 

 great dread. Thus with reference to three Garganey shot 

 by Sir E. Payne- Gallwey in Cork Harbour, in March, 1878, 

 he mentions that " they were very tame and allowed me to 

 kill two of them on the water, and a third flying, from an 

 ordinary boat, with a shoulder-gun " (' Fowler in Ireland,' 

 p. 63). 



The drake Garganey may be distinguished from the Teal 

 on the water, by the white stripe which extends from above 

 the eye backwards and downwards along the neck. The 

 female is more difficult to recognise. 



Flight. The flight is very rapid and on the wing the 

 Garganey might easily be mistaken for the Teal. 



Food. The food consists chiefly of fish and molluscs, 

 with very little vegetable matter. 



As a bird for the table this Duck is not considered good 

 by some authorities, while by others it is highly esteemed. 



Voice. The name of ' Cricket Teal ' has been applied to 

 this species on account of the curious vibratile or rattling 

 sound produced by the drake's voice in the spring. 



Nest. This bird nests on marshy low-lands, also 

 in drier and more elevated districts among heather. Its 

 breeding-haunts, in fact, resemble those of the Teal. The 

 nest is made chiefly of dry grass and is lined with down. 



The eggs, eight to thirteen in number, are creamy-white 

 in colour. Incubation begins about the end of April. 



The Garganey is a rare British nesting-species. But to 

 Norfolk, where protection is afforded it and particularly in 

 the ' Broad ' district this Duck resorts annually to breed, 

 while in the following counties there is also evidence that 

 it probably has nested : Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Cambridge- 

 shire, Huntingdonshire, Warwickshire, Hampshire and 

 Yorkshire. 



1 This Duck was not observed in Scotland until March, 1841, when 

 four were shot near Stirling (Macgillivray). 



