THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 527 



not very handsome male, though at once recognisable by the 

 fen'Uginous colour of the wing-covcrts and the black bill. This 

 species also breeds from Iceland south to central Germany, and 

 within the same parallels of latitude through Scandinavia, Russia, 

 and the whole of Asia and North America. 



325. — Wigeon [I'feifente]. 



ANAS PENELOPE, Linu.i 



Heligolandish : Feif-Eim = Pfeifente— i.e. Piping or Whistlinij Duck. 



Anas penelope. Naumann, xi. 724. 



Wigeon. Dresser, vi. 541. 



Canard siffleur. Temminck, Manud, ii. 840, iv. 533. 



This pretty Duck is a well-known bird here, being shot, not 

 indeed very often, but yet fairly frequently in the winter months, 

 during severe frosts. During the day it is only seen singly, 

 never in companies ; but its merry, numerously resounding call- 

 notes, on calm dark migration nights, give unmistakable evidence 

 of the copious numbers of individuals contained in the migratory 

 tliglits. They evidently fly at a very low elevation across the Upper 

 Plateau — so low, indeed, that the hurried beats of their wings may 

 be distinctly heard in the stilhiess of the night, and one is induced 

 involuntarily to look upwards under the belief of being able to 

 perceive the wanderers. 



Their nesting area includes Iceland, and extends within the 

 same parallels of latitude through Scandinavia and Finland, as 

 far as eastern Asia. South of this zone its nest is only rarely 

 met with, though it is found pretty often to the north of it. 

 Von Heuglin actually killed a female as far north as Nova 

 Zembla. 



326 — Garganey [Knakente]. 



ANAS QUERQUEDULA, Linn.^ 



Anas querquedala. Naumann, .\i. 677. 



Garganey Teal. Dresser, vi. 513. 



Canard sarcelle d'cte. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 844, iv. 539. 



This small Duck is also among our very rare occurrences, only 

 three examples, all old males, having been seen and shot during 

 the last fifty years. This is the more singular, as the birds 

 breed — although never niuuerouslj' — on the continent close by, in 



' ATareca penelope (Linn,). - Querqucdula circia (Linn.). 



