694 COURTSHIP OF DUCKS AND NOTES ON HYBRIDS. 
but I think it may be said to be a low whistle with a suspicion 
of a groan in it, as though it caused the bird an effort to utter it. 
Following action No. 2, the Mallards lower their breasts and 
raise their tails two or three times in quick succession, at the 
same time depressing their flank feathers in order to display 
the metallic purple speculum ; this, which we will call action 
No. 3, is often followed by a repetition of actions 1 and 2. 
Then a quick “ throw up ” of head and tail, with the feathers 
of the head puffed out and the flank feathers depressed, is 
action No. 4, which is followed quickly by action No. 5. In 
this the drakes stretch out their necks with their throats just 
over the water and swim rapidly about in different directions ; 
then, apparently by mutual consent, they all come back to 
action No. 1, and go through the whole performance again. 
The order of these actions is very often reversed. For 
instance, that which I have given as No. 2 is very frequently 
followed by No. 4, but No. 1 is almost always the first, while 
No. 5 is the last, and is always performed by the drake — and 
usually by the duck — immediately after treading has taken 
place. 
The courtship of the Common Teal, Pintail and Gadwall is 
very similar to that of the Mallard, though in the display of 
these, action No. 2 is performed less frequently, and No. 5 
seldom resorted to except after mating. The Common Teal 
and Pintail both utter a beautiful low whistle ; and the 
Teal drake, in action No. 4, frequently makes the back of 
his head and tail meet over his back. 
The courtship of the Shoveler is rather a poor affair 
compared with that of the former species, and consists in 
little else than male and female swimming round each other 
and quickly raising and lowering the head and neck, the neck 
being held straight up — by this I mean at right angles to the 
body, and not thrown forward as in the case of the Sheld- 
Drake. 
The courtship of the Garganey Teal is also dull and much 
resembles that of the Shoveler, although the male frequently 
