wiCtEON. 399 



Nov., 7,655; Dec, 1,085; Jan., 275; Feb., 9. This 

 proves that 150 years ago the great takes of Wigeon were 

 made in the earl}' autumn months, not, as at present, in 

 January, February, and March. Some of the best days in 

 the Canney decoy were : — Sept. 20th, 1714 : 1 Duck, 20 

 Teal, 785 Wigeon ; Sept. 23rd, 1715 : 7 Teal, 1 Pintail, 

 478 Wigeon; Oct. 7th, 1715: 6 Teal, 4 Pintail, 572 

 Wigeon ; Oct. 14th, 1715 : 2 Teal, 1 Duck, 490 Wigeon ; 

 Oct. 18th, 1715 : 1 Teal, 1 Duck, 1 Pintail, 537 Wigeon ; 

 Aug. 23rd, 1716 : 3 Teal, 548 Wigeon ; Sept. 16th, 1717 : 

 702 Wigeon ; and 384 on previous day. The two best 

 months were :— Sept. 1714 : 39 Ducks, 81 Teal, 9 Pintail, 

 3,907 Wigeon ; Sept. 1717 ; 12 Ducks, 8 Teal, 1 Pintail, 

 3,440 Wigeon. The best year :— 1714, 675 Ducks, 347 

 'J'eal, 46 Pintail, 6,296 Wigeon. Total of thirteen years : 

 —4,576 Ducks, 1,396 Teal, 138 Pintail, 44,677 Wigeon.— 

 Total: 50,787."* 



In March and April Wigeon move northward for the 

 breeding-season, and up to the present time none have been 

 proved to breed in any county of England or Wales ; 

 although it is not improbable that a pair or two may have 

 remained for that purpose, from time to time, in Norfolk. 

 In Scotland the Wigeon was found nesting in Sutherlandshire 

 by Jardine and Selby, in 1834, and it is now known that 

 a good many pairs breed throughout the greater part of that 

 county, with the exception of the west. Ross-shire, Caith- 

 ness, and Cromarty are also counties in which it is known 

 to nest ; there is little doubt that it does so in the Outer 

 Hebrides ; and its eggs have been taken in Orkney and in 

 Shetland. 



In Ireland, according to Sir R. Payne-Gallwey, the 

 Wigeon is abundant in suitable spots throughout every 

 county ; but he says that he has never succeeded in finding 

 a nest, although he has searched at least fifty lakes to that 

 end ; and he has seen young birds and females together on 

 Lough Derg (Shannon), Lough Ree, Lough Corrib, Lough 

 Mask, and Lough Conn, when fishing in the early autumn. 



* For further details, see ' The Fiehl," li. p. 410, and liv. p. 38. 



