ANATID. 497 
Wicron, Anas Penelope. The name “ Wigeon ” 
is generally in this county applied indifferently to 
the present species, the Pochard and the Tufted 
Duck; in some places these two last are distin- 
guished as “ Cur Wigeon:”’ in this immediate neigh- 
bourhood these two species occur more frequently 
than the Wigeon, but about the coast and in some 
parts of the marsh the Wigeon much outnumbers 
the others. Montagu says in his time more Wigeon 
were caught in the decoys of Somerset and Devon 
than Duck, Teal and all other wild fowl collectively. 
It is a winter visitor, making its appearance about 
the middle of October, and departing about the 
beginning of April to its northern breeding grounds : 
a few, however, are known to stop short and breed 
as far south as the North of Scotland. 
The Wigeon is easily kept in confinement, but 
has not been known to breed,* which I am rather 
surprised at, as they certainly pair, and the drake is 
the most jealous and irritable little fellow, whistling 
and flying at any male Duck of any species that 
* The female havioces in my mdi is now (J (Fuly, 1 1869) 
sitting on five of her own eggs. The nest is in a field of 
mowing grass near the pond: it is a slight hole scratched in 
the ground, lined with a few long bents of grass and a great 
deal of down plucked from the bird’s own body: it very much 
resembles the nest of the common Muscovy Duck. The eggs 
are rather smaller than those of the Wild Duck, and are 
cream-coloured. 
2u 3 
