Nest, &c. 
Food. 
302 NATATORES. CHAULIODUS. GADWALL. 
when some few pairs occasionally visit the marshes of Nor- 
folk and the adjoining counties, being probably driven to 
that coast of our island by adverse winds, out of the usual 
line of their flight. This seems to be farther to the east- 
ward, as the bird is plentiful upon the continental parts of 
Europe, in our parallels of latitude. Thus, according to 
TrmMinck, it abounds in Holland, breeding in the great 
marshy tracts of that country, as well as in other northern 
districts. The specimens I have been enabled to see in a 
fresh state were all met with in the poulterers’ shops in Lon- 
don, during the months of April and May, and those now in 
my collection were thus obtained. Though other writers 
have mentioned it as being a winter visitant to our shores, I 
have never seen it except at the period above stated; and 
Monracu, who probably, in consequence of this idea, only 
looked for it during the winter, never succeeded in obtaining 
arecent specimen. The species is widely distributed through- 
out the northern and eastern parts of Europe, and is also 
found in North America, having been described by Witson 
as a winter visitant to various parts of the United States. 
These birds frequent the lakes, rivers, and marshes of the 
interior, particularly those abounding in reeds and other rank 
aquatic herbage, and seldom resort to the sea-coasts. They 
are strong on wing, and in rapidity of flight surpass most of 
the other nearly allied species, but are more remarkable for 
their quickness in diving, and their great propensity to it as 
the method of avoiding danger, or even observation.— They 
breed in the most covered parts of the marshes, and lay from 
ten to twelve eggs each, of a pale oil-green colour.—Their 
food consists of insects and their larvae, aquatic plants, and 
seeds.—The voice of the Gadwall is not unlike that of the 
Common Wild Duck, only rather hoarser. The trachea of 
the male bird is slightly enlarged in its diameter at about 
two-thirds of its length, but becomes narrower as it ap- 
proaches the lower larynx ; this consists of a large bony 
arch, with a globular, or rather pyriform, bladder attached 
