Garganey. 481 



190. GARGANEY (Anas querquedula). 



This is often called the < Summer Teal/ and though larger than 

 A. crecca, it bears considerable resemblance to that pretty little 

 species, with which we are so familiar. It is really half-way in 

 size between a Widgeon and a Teal, and is distinguished from its 

 congeners by a white streak down the sides of the neck. Pro- 

 fessor Skeat derives the name querquedula from querq or kark, 

 significative of any loud noise, in allusion to its note, which is 

 said to be a harsh knack, and very loud in proportion to the size 

 of the bird. In Germany this species is known as Knack-ente. 

 Besides this, its ordinary note, in spring the drake makes a 

 peculiar jarring noise like that of a child's rattle, whence the 

 name of ' Crick ' or ' Cricket Teal ' in the eastern counties, where 

 it is best known.* It arrives in the spring, and the late Rev. G. 

 Marsh used to describe it as by no means uncommon in his 

 neighbourhood, twenty years ago. Mr. Grant received one in 

 May, 1874, from West Lavington. The Rev. A. P. Morres 

 mentions a little party of four birds marked down in a bend of 

 the river at Britford, all of which the keeper shot ; and I hear 

 from Mr. Hussey Freke that his keeper killed one at Hannington 

 last year. It may be said to occur in this county, but sparingly. 

 The only country in which I ever met with it was Portugal, from 

 which I brought back specimens. In France it is Sarcelle d'tte ; 

 in Portugal, Marreco and Marrequinho ; in Sweden, Arta. 



191. TEAL (Anas crecca). 



This beautiful little duck, the smallest of the Anatidse, is well 

 known throughout the county. It is a night-feeding species: 

 for all day it reposes on the water, or sits motionless on the very 

 brink, with the head crouched between the shoulders; but 

 immediately after sunset it will fly to its feeding-grounds. Sir 

 R. Payne-Gallwey saysf the habit of this, the prettiest and 

 smallest of all wild-fowl, is to swim near the surface, with only 



* Fourth edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds,' vol. iv., p. 395. 

 f ' The Fowler in Ireland/ pp. 59-61. 



31 



