■VrARECA PENELOPE 198 



They vary very much in being wild or the reverse, but, taking 

 them everywhere, in comparison with other ducks they may be said 

 to be cute, wary birds, but falling short in this respect of many of 

 their kind. AYhat adds, too, to the ease of obtaining shots at them 

 is their habit of feeding almost throughout the day, their feeding 

 taking them much to the edges of the jhils and lakes, where they 

 remain amongst the reeds and vegetation. This, of course, hides 

 the stalker and the stalked, and many shots ma>- lie obtained at 

 Wigeon by walking round the borders of a lake, whilst most of the 

 other duck are away in the middle of the water, unapproachable, 

 except by boat, and often not by that. They collect in very large 

 flocks, sometimes numbering as many as seven or eight hundred 

 individuals, but more often will be found in flocks of 100 or so, and, 

 of course, where they are less common in small flocks of a dozen or 

 less, often in pairs or singly, but in the latter case always with some 

 other duck. 



Of their voice, Hume writes : — 



" They are, on the whole, rather loquacious liirds, and both when 

 feeding and at rest, when walking, swimming, and flying, often utter 

 a shrill ' whew,' a sort of whistle by which you may know them at 

 any distance ; it is not a clear full whistle like the Curlew's, but a 

 whistle-cry, rather discordant when heard by day, but not without 

 its charms when uttered by night by large numbers, mingled with 

 the call of many other species and mellowed by the distance and 

 the multitudinous voices of wings and water." 



They fly with a swift powerful flight, generally in line formation, 

 the line nearly always irregular, and altering much in shape as the 

 birds fly ; the two ends are generally thin, whilst towards the centre 

 the birds are more numerous. When flying from one jhil to another, 

 or when put up by shots, they do not, I think, take any particular 

 formation. 



Meyer says : — 



" The Wigeon fly in the usual manner of ducks, following one 

 another ; but these birds fly so very close upon the heels of their 

 leader, that it forms a distinguishing peculiarity." 



Hume notes the peculiar rustle made by the Wigeon in flying ; 

 this is very distinctive, and when close at hand sounds very different 

 from the swish of the mallard or the sound of other ducks" flight. 

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