GADWALL 
157 
be considered easy birds to breed. In this country few fanciers have been successful 
in rearing them. Of some interest is an old remark by Audubon to the effect that he 
saw a large flock in confinement in Dutchess County, New York, in 1812, which had 
bred many times, and had become quite “domesticated. ” More recently the species 
was bred by Mr. Percy K. Hudson {fide L. S. Crandall, in litt.). The few birds I 
myself have kept, showed themselves very active in display but never went so far 
as even to build a nest. They do not command a high price and can often be bought 
for $6.00 or $8.00 a pair, but hand-reared specimens should be sought for if one 
really wants to breed them, and these of course are more expensive. 
In Europe they bred in the Zoological Gardens in London in 1839 and in many 
subsequent years. The dates of hatching are interesting as being almost all in late 
June or early July (P. L. Sclater, 1880). They have also bred freely in a semi- 
domesticated state on the Duke of Bedford’s estate, and in a number of other 
English parks. 
The length of life of Gadwall kept in the London Gardens was a trifle less than 
that of other common shoal-water ducks. The average of ten birds was four years 
two months, the maximum being ten years two months (P. C. Mitchell, 1911). 
They breed when one year old. Good hand-reared stock is sold in England for about 
forty shillings the pair but they are not easy to get and should be spoken for long 
in advance. 
Hybrids. In the wild state Gadwall very rarely cross with other species, cer- 
tainly less frequently than the Mallard, Black Duck, Widgeon and Pintail. Crosses 
witk the Mallard, Pintail, Shoveller, European and American Widgeon have, how- 
ever, been taken (Suchetet, 1896; Millais, 1902; W. G. Smith, 1887). In captivity 
Rogeron (1903) succeeded in crossing the Gadwall and the Mallard and then mated 
the hybrids with the Pochard (Nyroca ferina). Presumably these triple hybrids 
were sterile, but there is no information on this point. A Mallard-Gadwall hybrid 
has also been mated with the European Widgeon and produced young (Selys, fide 
Fatio, 1904). 
