82 
ANATIM. 
but the old male wigeon and male pintails here changed in like 
manner, yielding up all the beautiful characteristic colours and 
markings of their sex (except that the white patch on the wigeon' s 
wing remained unchanged), to assume the dull hue of the females 
of their respective species, from which they differed only in the 
colours being of a darker shade — at the ordinary autumnal moult 
they all again assumed their proper male , attire. Towards the 
end of May, the mallards' masque commenced ; and by the middle 
or end of September, they were themselves again. 
Having frequently mentioned Anatidec kept on the ponds at 
the Falls, near Belfast, by Mr. Sinclaire, it may be desirable to 
notice all the species which were there at one period ; viz. : — 
Bewick's swan. 
Brent goose. 
Bernacle. 
Mallard. 
Shelldrake. 
Wigeon. 
Teal. 
Scaup. 
Tufted duck. 
Pochard. 
Summer duck of North America, Dendronessa sponsa. 
The above were kept on an enclosed pond. There were at large the 
Tame swan. 
Canada goose. 
Egyptian goose. 
Once, when walking round the aquatic menagerie in the middle 
of June, I remarked that nearly all the plants of Equisetum fluvia- 
tile or Telmateia (of which there were many) had been divested 
of their branches by these birds, though, excepting grass, they 
had not eaten of any other of the numerous plants growing within 
the enclosure. 
The following is extracted from the journal of the late Mr. 
Templeton : — 
“In the spring of 1807, 1 received, from John Sinclaire, Esq., 
