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ten young in down was captured on the 25th of June. In Jutland it is generally found breeding 

 earlier than the Common Teal, and is commoner at that season of the year ; but during migration 

 the latter species is much more abundant on the fiords and sheets of water, and forms a large 

 portion of the number of Ducks caught." 



With regard to its occurrence on the island of Borkum, Baron Droste writes as follows : — 

 " Its nest has once been found on Borkum, but was unfortunately destroyed. It is now only 

 observed now and then on migration, generally in the spring. They do not appear to pass 

 through here in the autumn, as only a few scattered families were observed in the late summer. 

 In the spring they appear in pairs late in April or early in May, after the other Ducks have 

 passed. They frequent the freshwater or salty ponds and rivulets on the islands; and I know no 

 instance of this Duck visiting the shores. They are very tame, and soon get accustomed to the 

 sight of human beings, and are satisfied with the smallest sheets of water. When unmolested 

 they can be approached within a few paces without flying up. Their note is a harsh knack ; but 

 in the spring the Drake calls often and loud, making a harsh note. Like the Common Teal, 

 they fly very swiftly, but can be easily distinguished by their light wing-coverts." 



The food of the Garganey consists of worms, insects, and insect-larvae, small frogs, occasionally 

 small fishes, also of grain of different sorts, seeds of many of the water-plants, buds, leaves, and 

 the soft ends of leaves, and soft succulent roots. They are not difficult to keep tame ; and if 

 given the run of a pond covered with reeds and water-plants, they will do well with what they 

 can pick up there, if a little grain and pieces of bread are thrown out to them. 



The nest is a mere depression in the ground, generally in a grassy mound in the morass or 

 on a meadow, seldom far from water; and the eggs are from eight to ten, sometimes twelve in 

 number. The following account of the breeding of the Garganey was contributed to Mr. 

 Hewitson's well-known work by the late Mr. Hoy : — " The Garganey commences laying its eggs 

 about the middle of April. The nest, which is composed of rushes and dried grass mixed with 

 the down of the bird, is placed upon the ground in low boggy situations, amongst the coarse 

 herbage and rushes in marshes, and on the borders of inland waters and rivers. The eggs are 

 from eight to ten in number, and differ from those of the Teal chiefly in the larger proportion of 

 yellow which prevails in their surface-colouring." 



The eggs of the Garganey are so very much like those of the Common Teal, that it is 

 scarcely possible to distinguish them. If any thing, they are of a more creamy yellow colour 

 than those of that bird. We have before us a series from Dresser's collection, all from Denmark, 

 which measure on an average Iff by 1\^ inch, are pure oval in shape, and rich creamy yellow 

 in colour. 



A cream-coloured variety of the Garganey seems to occur occasionally. Von Nordmann 

 says : — " I have several times seen near Odessa a pale yellowish white variety ; " and Mr. J. H. 

 Gurney tells us that he has a cream-coloured one shot at Surlingham on the 30th of July 1858. 



The adult male is described from a beautiful specimen in Canon Tristram's collection, killed 

 near Cambridge in spring ; and the adult female from a Danish specimen given to us by Mr. A. 

 Benzon, to whom also we are indebted for the young in down. The descriptions of the female 

 in spring dress and of the male in " Duck " plumage are taken from examples belonging to 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun. The figures are drawn from a pair of Mr. Benzon's Danish birds. With 



