THE GADWALL 293 
The Gadwall builds its nest upon the ground 
or in low, dead stubs. The complement of eggs 
varies from six to ten in number, usually nearer 
the smaller figure. The color of these is a deli- 
cate creamy white. The male is a very prettily 
marked bird with some brilliant touches of 
color in his plumage. His head and neck are 
a pale yellowish white, streaked with dusky or 
black; darker and brownish in tone, as well as 
more heavily streaked on the crown. Lower 
neck all around, breast and upper parts of the 
back bluish black, the feathers with fine edgings 
of white, many of them having spots of the 
same color on their centres, thus giving the ef- 
fect of a delicate collar of lace. These colors 
are more sharply defined on the breast, and on 
the back gradually blend with the body colors. 
Lower back dusky, growing black on the rump 
and tail coverts. The scapulars are a dull red- 
dish brown; lesser upper coverts gray, chang- 
ing and shading into a bright chestnut on the 
middle coverts and again to black on the great- 
er coverts. Speculum white. Linings of the 
wings white; axillars white, with white shafts. 
Under parts grayish or white, with faint dusky 
pencillings, the vermiculations heavier and 
