74 The Natural History of British Ducks 
that it is also a courting display. At this season of love the cock Garganey 
frequently utters his peculiar cry. It is a crackling note, and may be likened 
to the noise of a high-pitched rattle, or that produced by a stick swiftly drawn 
across thin iron rails. Hence, in the east of England, in addition to the name 
of ' Summer Teal,' the bird is known as the * Cricket Teal.' 
The site chosen for the nest is similar to that of the Wigeon, either in 
coarse herbage or open moorland, and sometimes far from the water. The 
eggs are usually laid in May, and number from seven to thirteen, and are 
yellower than those of the Teal. There is also a very distinct difference in 
the young in down, which can be seen by reference to the coloured plate. 
The males commence to change into the eclipse about the same time as 
the Teal, and alter very rapidly ; but once in their sombre colours they remain 
in this dress for a longer period than any other surface-feeding drake — in fact, 
the full plumage is often delayed until February, the process of colour change 
and feather influx coming on only gradually until that month, when a heavy 
flush of feather as well as colour rise takes place. This is interesting, as 
again 'showing a close affinity of the species to the Shoveler ; for the Teal, to 
which the Garganey is supposed to be more closely related, gets its full 
plumage in October, and only takes on a ' bloom,' as it were, and general 
completion of plumage in the spring. 
In confinement the Garganey does well, and will live as long as any of 
the other ducks on the ordinary food ; but I have not heard that anyone has 
been successful in getting them to rear their young. They are retiring in 
their habits when kept on ponds, but, as a rule, they are tamer than Teal — 
a male that I kept for three years would come and almost take food from 
the hand. Hybrids of the Garganey with other species are extremely rare. 
There is an interesting cross between this species and the Shoveler in one 
of the cases devoted to hybrids in the Natural History Museum at South 
Kensington, and Mr. Walter Rothschild has a cross between a Teal and a 
Garganey. 
