G A D AVAL L.
ANAS STREPERA.
I HATE met with this species only on two occasions, both in the enst of Norfolk. Some fourteen or
fifteen years ago, in December, while Snipe-shooting on the old common at East Ruston, a couple of
pairs were seen to alight on a broad water-dyke: a long and tedious circuit was needed to obtain a
view sufficiently close to identify them with certainty, and then, owing to the want ot cover and the
waving bogs and swamps intervening, it was impossible to get within range for a shot. On the 15th
of December, 1881, I noticed two fowl feeding busily on the fresh green grass round a small pool on Rush
Hills, adjoining ITiekUng Rroad, and a glimpse of them through (he glasses as they moved amoog the
tufts of rushes convinced me that they Belonged to this species. As the distance at which thev had settled
was only about seventy yards out on the hill from the hank up to which the punt could he worked, I
determined to try a shot with the big gun. Raving picked out and decided on the nearest creek in the
edge of the broad, we sculled in and awaited a chance for both to come together; there was but liltlo
delay, as they were continually passing from one spot to another while engaged in searching for food,
and a shot was soon tired with good effect. One was killed on the spot, and the other appeared
utterly helpless; before we could reach the spot, however, the bitter rose on wing and ilutterrd slowly
across the bill to the broad, where it immediately dropped on the water and paddled for a few yards,
when it brought up and remained, occasionally shaking its bead as if choking with blood in the throat.
Not intending to lose a chance, a cartridge charged with small shot was inserted in the large breechloading
punt-gun, and sculling up within about fifty yards, the unfortunate cripple was at once obtained.
Both birds, as I anticipated, proved to be immature Gadwalls—young drakes in their lirst autumn
plumage. As this species is far from common in the British Islands, and only the adults have been as
yet figured by ornithological writers, one of these birds is represented in the 1'lale. There is no necessity
to refer to the state of the plumage in these pages ; hut the colouring of the soft parts was as follows,
the uoti-s being taken down immediately af(er the specimens were lifted into the boat :—Iris dark betel ;
a dark brown spreads halfway down the upper mandible in a line with the nostril on cither side, a dark line
also encircles the nostril; the lower portion anil base of the upper mandible was a darkish yellow tint,
and the lower mandible a paler yellow ; nail a dusky white, and the ridge round the beak yellow ; legs a.
dull yellow colour; webs dark grey, with a yellow line on each side of the toes; joints of toes and legs
slightly shaded with a brown tinge, and nails a light brown tint.
Having met with so few chances of making observations on the habits of this species, I can only
say that these birds appear to feed on the damp spots in the marshes and also in the water-dyke,
where they swim about searching for food among the foliage overhanging the banks; whether they were
engaged in making a Mai otf insects or vegetation I was too far off to ascertain.
Uadwalls breed in a few different parts of the eastern counties where they are well protected, and are
often seen on somo of the preserved waters in small parties of ten or a dozen.