AXATIN'^ — THK m'CKS — CirArLKLASMUS. 



509 



llUillllt' to 

 1 at Slave 

 ', uiiobsor- 

 Drds thiMU 

 Tht' (iiid- 

 Aiiicricii. 

 nicntions 

 ■t't'ding at 

 Br in Min- 



i)ia by ]\Ir. 

 I. 



•V Island ; 

 spciiks of 

 )orh()od of 

 lii'()uj,'liout 

 ti distinct 

 m the twi- 

 , however, 



the Sacra- 

 ly. Those 

 . however, 

 ally al)ont 

 rith a soli- 

 ard found 

 fVlr. II. W. 

 OS ' Polk 



She was 

 )uck8, r.nd 

 eggs ever 



ion in the 

 d streams 



very shy, 

 e hunters 

 , a few of 



•' Welch 

 nst active 

 imid, and 



le chief!}' 



Gadwall 

 ons. Mr. 



was also 

 with it in 

 one small 

 imen. 



Mr. T. Ti. I'owys found the (ladwall common in the winter in the Ionian Islands. 

 I'nlike most other writers, he speaks of it as the easiest to a|i|iroaeh of all the Kuro- 

 peaii Ducks, and lie also regarded it as the liest for the tai)le. It is given liy .Mr. 11. 

 Saunders in his !,ist of the Itirds of Southern Sjjain. where it was abundant tlirough- 

 out the winter unl |iril. and be adds that it certainly breeds at Santa Olaga. 



According to .Mu.ilendorff, it is found in the forest regions of Siberia. Its presence 

 in Iccdand was fir.st positively announced by Professor Newton, Mr. (i. C. Fowler 

 having obtained a pair, with their ne.st and eggs, in ISdL', and Mr. i'roctor having 

 recicived skins from there. More re<'ently Mr. ('. W. Sbepard has found it breeding 

 in the northern part of that island, on the shores of the My-vatn Lake. It was shy 

 and nns()ciai)le. and its nests were found only in (piiet swampy places on the shores 

 of the lake or on islands not fre(iuented by any other species of Duck. 



In Ireland and (Ireat Itritain this Duck is comjjarativtdy rare, occurring in winter, 

 but nnu'c frequently in spring, and then only in very limited numbers. In lloUiind, 

 on the other hand, in the months of September and October, it is the most common 

 Duck in the markets. 



Mr. Dresser did not nu-et with tliis bird in Finland, though it is su^iposed to occur 

 in the southeastern i»art of that coiuitry. It has been procured in the neighborhood of 

 Archangel, but is rare in the northern part of Russia. It is mcu'c numerous in South- 

 eastern Uussia, inhabiting large marshy localities, where reeds and rushes abound, 

 and also freipienting the swampy banks of rivers. In the autumn, during the evening 

 and in the night, it Hies about the fields. It nests in swamps or on the banks of 

 lakes and rivers, and the usual number of its eggs is from eight to twelve. 



In Asia it has i»een obtained as far east as China and Jai)an. Throughout India, 

 during the whole of the cold season, according to Mr. Hume, it is the most plentiful 

 species of Duck. 



Like all the Ducks with long-jiointed M-ings, the Gadwall has a strong and rapid 

 flight. It is generally regarded as a shy species, di.sliking exposure, and hiding itself 

 among thick reeds and acpiatic jdants. This, Mr. Yarrell states, was ooscrved to be the 

 habit of a pair in the (Jarden of the Zoological Society, which concealed themselves 

 in the long grass of the islands. These birds bred there in the season of 18.39, and 

 again in 1S41, laying seven or eight eggs. They fed on vegetable matter, aquatic; 

 insects, and small fish. 



In general habits this species very closely resembles the ]\Iallard. It is essentially 

 a fresh-water Duck, frequenting streams, lakes, and ponds where suitable food is 

 to be found, this consisting chiefly of the leaves, buds, and roots of water-plants. 

 While feeding this bird sometimes utters a low quacking. In confinement it readily 

 eats oats, bread, pieces of cabbage, turnip, potatoes, and various other vegetables. A 

 pair kept at ]\Iount Auburn, !Mass., ate greedily the roots of the common celery. 



It bioeds throughout Ctmtral and Southern Europe, making a nest, like that of the 

 Mallard, close to the water's edge, on the borders of fresh-water lakes and streams. 

 T'he nest is a mere depression in the ground, lined with dry leaves or hay and down. 

 The eggs are from nine to thirteen in number, of a i)ale creamy yellow. Those in 

 Mr. Dresser's coll(>ction averaged 2.10 inches in length and l.oO inches in breadth. 



Dr. Bachman informed Mr. Audubon that in the year 1812 he saw in Dutchess 

 Co., New York, about thirtj' of these Ducks in a single flock. He was informed 

 that three years previously a i)air of Gadwalls had been captured alive in a mill-pond. 

 They were kept in the poultry -yard, and were easily tamed, one joint of the Aving 

 having been broken, to prevent their flying away. In the following spring they were 

 suffered to go into the pond, but returned daily to the house to be fed. They built 



