BIRDS MET WITH BY THE WILDFOWLER 309 
The adult male has a brown head, greenish black on the 
nape. A white stripe runs down each side of the neck, merging 
into the white of the under parts. Back and flanks dark 
brown, mottled with grey. Wing-coverts buff; speculum 
bronze green ; tail black, the two central feathers much elon- 
gated ; under tail-coverts black ; bill and legs slate-grey. The 
female is of varying shades of buff and brown, and has no long 
tail feathers. The elongated neck and general shape of this 
species is sufficient to distinguish it from others of its family. 
The young resemble the female, and moult at once into their 
full plumage in their first autumn. The eclipse plumage of 
the Drake, which is dark brown above and smoky grey below, 
is lost about October. Length about 24 in. ; wing 11 in. 
GARGANEY 
Anas circta (Linneus) 
The Garganey is,a summer migrant to the British Isles. 
It inhabits most parts of the Palzearctic region, with the excep- 
tion of the extreme north. In winter it occurs as far south-— 
wards as the Malay Archipelago. The adult male has the 
back brown, glossed with green, and paler margins; scapu- 
lars elongated, and conspicuously marked in the centres 
with a white stripe ;. wing-coverts bluish, tinged with grey ; 
speculum glossy green, with white margins on either side ; 
quills and tail brown; crown and nape deep rich umber-, 
brown, with a border of white; chin black; cheeks and 
throat rufous-brown; breast light brown, with crescentic 
bands of dark brown; abdomen white, with fine blackish 
vermiculations towards vent, and having two black crescents 
on each lower flank ; irides hazel; bill blackish; legs and 
feet greyish brown. Length about 15 in. 
