MABECA PENELOPE 189 



Young' Male. — Much like the female, but the upper parts, especially on 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts, more grey than brown, and soon assuming 

 the vermiculated appearance of the adult male ; white about the speculum 

 far more developed, as is the speculum itself, and the breast and fore-neck 

 are a richer brown. 



Male in the first nuptial state or changing from the young into Adult 

 Stage. — Head rich-l>ro\vn, Ijoklly spotted with black, loss so below ; upper 

 back and adjoining parts as in the female, but gradually changing to grey on 

 the lower back and rump, where it is beautifully vermiculated and stippled 

 with white ; upper tail-coverts, scapulars and innermost secondaries like the 

 upper back ; wing like the adult male, but the speculum inconspicuous ; 

 lower parts as in the female, but with the breast a very rich rufous, 

 contrasting both with fore-neck and abdomen. 



Nestling. — "May be distinguished by the warm rufous tint of the 

 cheeks and throat and the absence of any loral streak ; the upper parts are, 

 moreover, of an almost uniform brown, with hardly any signs of bars on the 

 pinions." {Yarrcll) 



Distribution. — TheWigeon is found throughout Europe at different 

 seasons, being a permanent resident in somu of the northern 

 countries ; practically throughout Asia, though rare to the east, 

 breeding in the north and wintering in the south; in Northern Africa 

 in the cold weather as far south as Abyssinia, Southern Egypt and to 

 Madeira. It also wanders as far as North-eastern America. 



Within our limits it is found practically everywhere except in the 

 extreme south and in Ceylon. I did not personally obtain it in the 

 Sundarbands, but many others have shot it there. It is decidedly 

 common in Cachar and Sylhet to my own knowledge, not rare in 

 Goalpara and Kamrup, in which districts I have shot it, and is found 

 throughout the Province of Assam, whilst in Burma it has been 

 recorded from N. Tenasserim, Chindwin, Aracan and the Bhamo 

 district. 



Nidification. — The Wigeon breeds throughout the greater part of 

 its northern habitat, but probably nowhere within the Arctic circle. 

 It is common in Iceland and still more so in Lapland, breeds through- 

 out Northern Europe, and also, I am told, in East Prussia, and it also 

 breeds in North-west Asia, less commonly to the east. In Great 

 Britain it has often been found breeding in Scutkmd and also in 

 Ireland, and in 1898, Mr. W. J. Clark recorded the finding of a 

 Wigeon's nest in Yorkshire, this being the first record of its breeding 

 within the limits of England itself. 



