276 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
Guadalquivir; while in winter it extends to Northern Africa and 
up the valley of the Nile into Nubia. It occurs throughout 
Central Asia, breeding in Turkestan, and reaches to the Pacific 
coast in Ea.stern Siberia. The eastern birds winter in India and 
China. The Gadwall also breeds in North America at about 
the same latitudes as in the Old World, and is found in winter 
as far south as Mexico and the Greater Antilles. 
Habits. — The Gadwall is a great skulker and always shy, but 
on the water it is a very smart-looking bird, as it swims lightly, 
with its feathers brushed hard back to a point behind its neck. 
It is a fresh-water Uuck and is not often captured on the sea 
coasts, and is to a great extent gregarious, being sometimes 
seen in hundreds on fresh-water lakes. It has a powerful 
flight, and rises easily from the water. Its food consists of 
leaves and flower-buds of water-plants, and in India, accord- 
ing to Mr. A. O. Hume, largely of rice, so that in the early 
season its flesh is said to be excellent. Like other Ducks, the 
diet also partly consists of insects and their larvm, small frogs, 
and worms. The name of strepera, or “noisy,” is a decided 
misnomer for the present species, as it is a very quiet Duck. 
Lord Lilford says tliat the note of the male is a curious rattling 
croak, a sort of mixture of the alarm-cry of the Mallard and 
the sound uttered by the male Garganey. 
Nest. — A mere depression in the ground, with a scanty lining 
of dry grass, bits of reed or rush, and, in some cases, a few dead 
leaves. It is carefully concealed by the overhanging grass or 
rushes. 
Eggs, — From eight to twelve in number ; buffy-white or 
creamy-white, and slightly glossy, some inclining to greenish. 
Axis, 2'i-2'25 inches; diam., 1-55. 
Down. — Light brown, with a centre star of white, the fila- 
ments brown at the ends, not silvery-whitish ; there is also an 
admixture of pure white downy plumes. 
THE WIGEON. GENUS MARECA. 
Mareca, Steph, Gen. Zool. xii. pi. 2, p. 130 (1824). 
Type, M. penelope (f..). 
The form of the Wigeon is very similar to that of the 
Gadwalls, but the lamellie of the upper mandible arc not so 
