43^ WIGEON. 



passage it visits the rest of Europe, going as far west as the Azores ; 

 and in Africa it is found down to Abyssinia. In Asia its range 

 extends from about 71" N. to Mongolia in summer, and in winter 

 over the rest of that continent and its islands down to Borneo ; 

 a specimen has even been obtained in the Marshall group, Poly- 

 nesia. From Siberia we trace this species across Bering Sea, by 

 way of the Aleutian Islands, to Alaska ; and it is not infrequent on 

 the coast of California, while in the east portion of the United 

 States it occurs almost every winter, especially between Virginia 

 and the Carolinas. 



The nest, placed in a tuft of rushes, coarse herbage or heather, is 

 warmly lined with down, and may contain from 7-10 cream- 

 coloured eggs: measurements 2 "3 by i '5 in. On their arrival the 

 birds, when undisturbed, feed by day on aquatic plants and grass, 

 but after November they become nocturnal, and subsist largely 

 upon Zostera marina. The call-note of the male is a shrill whistling 

 whee-yoii, whence the local names " Whew Duck " and " Whewer" ; 

 but the female utters a low purr or croak ; while both sexes 

 rise in silence. Although it is a surface-feeder and does not dive 

 for food, the Wigeon can submerge itself easily and turn rapidly 

 under water when wounded and pursued. No other species offers 

 such attractions to the punt-gunner ; and it is taken in large 

 numbers in those of our decoys which, as in Essex and in Pem- 

 brokeshire, are situated near the sea, though flocks sometimes 

 resort to waters as much as 30 miles inland. In confinement it 

 breeds occasionally, though not very freely ; and it has been known 

 to cross with the Pintail, Mallard, Gadwall and Teal. 



The adult male has the forehead and crown buff; cheeks and 

 hind-neck chestnut, minutely spotted with bottle-green ; chin black ; 

 throat and upper neck chestnut ; breast white passing into grey on 

 the under parts, the flanks being pencilled with dark grey ; mantle 

 chiefly of a finely vermiculated grey ; shoulder white with a terminal 

 bar of black, followed by a green wing-patch tipped with black below ; 

 quills and tail dark brown ; bill bluish-lead colour ; legs and toes 

 dark brown. Early in July a plumage like that of the female is 

 assumed, but the tints of the drake are always the brighter. Length 

 i8"5 in.; wing io'5 in. The female is smaller; the upper parts 

 are mottled with greyish-brown, and the shoulders nearly white ; 

 the wing-patch is greyish-green, and the under parts are buflish- 

 white. As usual, the young bird resembles the female ; the latter 

 occasionally assumes nearly full male plumage. 



