SS MARECA PENELOPE. 



assured by an old and experienced decoy-man." They not 

 only frequent rivers and lakes, but occur in estuaries, and 

 even along the open coast, especially in bays where the 

 bottom is more or less muddy. Their food consists of aquatic 

 plants, especially their roots, algae, and mollusca, -which they 

 procure, not by diving, but in the same manner as the Ducks 

 and Teals. They are frequently seen in very large flocks, 

 but usually in small bodies, seldom intermingling with other 

 species. They swim with great ease, and have a rapid 

 direct flight, taking wing easily from the water, and pro- 

 ducing a whistling sound as they fly. They are much 

 addicted to garrulity, and at night especially emit a whistling 

 cry, on account of which they have obtained the name of 

 Whew-Ducks. Vast numbers are shot, and from October to 

 April they are the most common Ducks in our markets, 

 perhaps Avith the exception in some towns of the Mallard. 

 As food they are less esteemed than that bird, but more so 

 than the sea-ducks in general, their flesh being savoury and 

 highly flavoured. Their price varies from eighteenpence to 

 three shillings or more, according to their abundance and 

 the locality. As is the case with the Brent Goose and 

 several species of Duck, their flesh varies in flavour according 

 to the nature of their food, those which have long fed on the 

 sea-coast being less savoury than such as have been obtained 

 inland. 



It does not appear that any remain in England to breed ; 

 nor was it suspected to make any part of Scotland its summer 

 residence, until a band of naturalists, exploring the wilds of 

 Sutherland in the summer of 1834, found it in the deserted 

 haunts of the Gael. " As the Wigeon," says the historian 

 of the expedition, Mr. Selby, " had not previously been de- 

 tected breeding in Britain, we were much pleased to observe 

 several pairs upon the smaller lochs near Lairg, which we 

 concluded had their nests among the reeds and other herbage 

 which grew in their vicinity. We were not so fortunate, 

 however, as to find one here, though diligent search was 

 made ; but afterwards, upon one of the islands of Loch 

 Laighal, we sprung a female, which we shot, from her nest 

 containing seven eggs. It was placed in the lieart of a large 



