202 ANATID^E. 



to any of the Anatidae ; and, although not actually rare in its 

 occurrence, it is not a common species, as the teal or pochard. 

 Found in limited numbers and distribution, its principal haunt 

 pn the Dublin coast is at Malahide, or occasionally the " Gut" 

 or estuary of Baldoyle (a narrow estuary, fed by a river, and 

 frequented by curlew in immense flocks). However, we are 

 supplied principally with birds captured in decoys, or shot 

 upon inland lakes, and forwarded for sale in the Dublin mar- 

 kets. Remarkable for its elegant appearance, none of the 

 duck tribe can lay claim to the same perfection of shape that 

 distinguishes the pintail, so much as to have obtained it the 

 appellation of " sea pheasant," and from the dealers in Dublin 

 the complimentary title of u Ladybird." Not often observed 

 in confinement, we had much pleasure in greeting its ap- 

 pearance, with other aquatic fowl, in the collection at the 

 Jardin des Plants at Paris. 

 Habitat Northern Europe. 



SPECIES 194 THE GAD WALL. 



Anas strepera. Linn. 

 Canard chipeau ou ridenne. Temm. 



THIS rare species, the most unobtrusive in plumage of all the 

 family occurring on our shores, is a species only occasionally 

 obtained ; although we have seen at least one specimen every 

 year with the various hawkers of wild fowl. 



Habited in such sombre plumage, the male gadwall might 

 agree with the general dull plumage which we find charac- 

 terizing all the females of the duck tribe. 



Occasionally appearing in small flocks, an adult male, in 

 our own collection, was shot, out of a flock of five, whilst flying 

 past the wooden bridge at Clontarf> in the winter of 1845. 

 Another specimen, a female, was selected from two more of 

 the same species, offered for sale by a hawker in the winter 

 of 1849, all of which were described by him as having been 

 obtained on an inland lake. 



Of its habits we know comparatively little, excepting its 

 powers of diving when in search of food, witnessed by Sir 

 W. Jardine in Holland, where they occur in considerable 

 numbers upon the meres, and from which locality Mr. J. J. 

 Nolan, of Bachelor's -walk, has frequently imported living 

 specimens for ornamental waters. 



Habitat Eastern Europe. 



