its position by the violent motions of the j,'uniicr. \\'\nu llu- piece was discharged, 

 the poor httlc thing would run its beak and head up undrr tlic man's hair at the 

 back of the neck, and when the report (bed away would resume its place ui)on his 

 shoulder. Captain I'abbitt took the bird in hi> hand, but when released it imme- 

 diately resumed it^ \A:n:v (»n the shoulder of the smoke-begrimed gunner. The 

 singular and touching scene was witnessed by a large number of officers and men. 

 It may be a subject of curious iiujuiry, what instinct led this bird to thus i)lace 

 itself. Possibly, frightened at the violent commotion caused by the battle, and 

 not knowing how to escape or where to go, some instinct led it to throw itself 

 upon the gunner as a protector. But, whate\er the cause, the incident was a 

 most beautiful and pleasing one to all who witnessed it. 



European Widgeon {Mareca penelope) 



Range: Occurs occasional!) in winter and in migration from Wisconsin, 

 Michigan, New York, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Greenland south to 

 Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida, and in Alaska, 

 British Columbia and California. 



In general appearance the European widgeon rather closely resembles our 

 baldpate. The males are easily identified, but a rather careful comparison is 

 needed to distinguish the females. For one thing the head and throat of the 

 female European widgeon are browner than the corresponding parts of our bald- 

 pate. A better distinguishing mark, however, is found in the axillars. or long 

 feathers under the wings of both sexes, as noted by Bangs. In our baldpate 

 these are white, while in the European widgeon they are gray. Particular atten- 

 tion is directed to these distinguishing marks, as sportsmen should know the 

 two birds apart, and thus be enabled to record the fact when they bring to bag 

 the European widgeon. The bird has long been known to occur in our waters, 

 but its presence has been thought to be only casual. Of late years it appears to 

 seek our shores in increasing numbers; at all events it is being reported oftener. 

 This is probably due less to an actual increase of numbers than to the fact that 

 sportsmen are becoming better acquainted with its aj)pearance. The bird may 

 indeed prove to be, as Forbush believes, a permanent resident of North America. 

 There are more records of its occurence along our Atlantic coast than elsewhere, 

 but the bird has been found also in Nebraska, California and Alaska. The habits 

 of the European widgeon while in our waters offer nothing particularly worthy 

 of note, as distinguished from those of our own baldpate. The call note of 

 the male. Saunders tells us, is a shrill whistling "whe'-you." whence the local 

 names "whewduck" and "whewer." 



841 



