THE BALDPATR 



We would have you to wit, that on eggs though we sit, 

 And are spiked on a spit, and are baked in a pan, 



Birds are older by far than your ancestors are, 



And made love and made war, ere the making of man ! 



— Andrew Lang. 



(^ I HERE is much variation in the 

 ^ I plumage of adult males of this 

 gj I species of Widgeon, but as 

 -^ Dr. Coues says : " The bird 

 cannot be mistaken under any condi- 

 tion ; the extensive white of the under 

 parts and wings is recognizable at 

 gun-range." The female is similar, 

 but lacks the white crown and irrides- 

 cence on the head. 



The Baldpate ranges over the whole 

 of North America. In winter it is 

 common in the Gulf states and lower 

 part of the Mississippi Valley. Cooke 

 says it breeds chiefly in the north, but is 

 known to nest in Manitoba, the Dakotas, 

 Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, 

 and Texas. Throughout the whole of 

 British America, as far north as the 

 Arctic ocean, it is very abundant. In 

 October and April it visits in large 

 numbers the rivers and marshes, as 

 well as both sea coasts, of the northern 

 United States, and is much sought by 

 hunters, its flesh being of the finest 

 quality, as when in good condition it 

 cannot easily be distinguished from 

 that of the Canvas-back. It is regarded 

 by hunters as a great nuisance. It is 

 not only so shy that it avoids the points 

 of land, but by its whistling and con- 

 fused manner of flight is said to alarm 

 the other species. During its stay in 

 the waters of the Chesapeake, it is the 

 constant companion of the Canvas- 

 backs, upon whose superiority in div- 

 ing it depends in a large degree for its 

 food, stealing from them, as they rise 

 to the surface of the water, the tender 

 roots of the plant of which both are so 

 fond — vallisneria grass, or wild celery. 



The Baldpate is said to visit the rice 

 fields of the south during the winter 

 in considerable numbers. It winters 

 in the Southern states, Mexico, and 

 the West Indies. In the north, the 

 Wigeon exhibits a greater preference 

 for rivers and open lakes than most 

 of the other fresh-water Ducks. 



The favorite situation of the nest is 

 remarkable, for while the other Ducks 

 — except, perhaps, the Teal, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Kennicott — choose the 

 immediate vicinity of water, he found 

 the Baldplate always breeding at a 

 considerable distance from it. Several 

 of the nests observed on the Yukon 

 were fully half a mile from the nearest 

 water. He invariably found the nest 

 among dry leaves, upon high, dry 

 ground, either under large trees or in 

 thick groves of small ones — frequently 

 among thick spruces. The nest is 

 small, simply a depression among the 

 leaves, but thickly lined with down, 

 with which after setting is begun, the 

 eggs are covered when left by the 

 parent. They are from eight to twelve 

 in number, and pale buff. The food of 

 the Baldpate consists of aquatic insects, 

 small shells, and the seeds and roots of 

 various plants. 



The call of this bird is a plaintive 

 whistle of two and then three notes 

 of nearly equal duration. Col. N. S. 

 Goss states that, as a rule. Widgeons 

 " are not shy, and their note, a sort of 

 wlieiv^ whew, whnv^ uttered while feed- 

 ing and swimming, enables the hunter 

 to locate them in the thickest growth 

 of water plants." 



SI 



