﻿GARGANY TEAL. 105 



to be capable of evolutions that are peculiar to itself. These 

 are, that the bird rolls occasionally over and over in the air, 

 shewing to the beholder first its under, and then its upper 

 parts. Its flight, when on its migratory journey, is performed 

 in a straight progress ; and when a small number or a family 

 are together on the wing, they form a sort of line, but the 

 individuals do not keep close together, like most other 

 ducks. In consequence of its wings being small in pro- 

 portion to its size, the noise produced by them is very 

 trifling, and seldom heard. 



The Gargany Teal is not very shy, and may therefore 

 be easily approached within gunshot ; when it is disturbed 

 from its hiding-place, it very frequently settles again near 

 the same spot, and, during its stay in any place, it is known 

 frequently to approach very near the habitations of man, 

 where a suitable piece of water invites it. 



The call-note of this species resembles that of the 

 mallard, but is of course uttered in a weaker tone of 

 voice. 



This bird soon becomes tame in confinement, and it 

 is therefore remarkable that we do not see some of these 

 beautiful creatures on the ornamental ponds of private 

 individuals. 



The food of the Gargany Teal consists in insects and 

 their larvae, small worms, small fry of fish, frogs, and 

 spawn. It also feeds on vegetable matter of divers descrip- 

 tions, such as the roots and shoots of aquatic plants, 

 grasses and grain of most kinds, principally barley, oats, 

 and millet. 



The breeding localities of the present species are in 

 every respect the same as those of the common wild duck ; 

 but the bird does not frequent such northern latitudes as before 

 mentioned in the history of that species, and it does not, 



