AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 107 



sought after by punt-gunners, as it offers more fre- 

 quent chances of " heavy " shots than perhaps any 

 other of our British wild-fowl, and though its flesh 

 is, in my opinion, by no means pre-eminent for 

 excellence, it will always command a certain price 

 in the market. In captivity the Wigeon thrives 

 remarkably well, and occasionally breeds ; it is cer- 

 tainly one of the most ornamental of water-fowl and 

 becomes exceedingly tame. I have met with this 

 species in every part of Europe and N. Africa that 

 I have visited in the winter season, and once noticed 

 three Wigeons on the Guadalquivir as late as May 1. 

 In a decoy, Wigeon will generally " work well to 

 the dog," especially in fine weather, and very large 

 numbers are annually taken in such of these estab- 

 lishments as are situated near the sea. This species, 

 as far as my own observation extends, prefers shallow 

 open waters to the overgrown marshes and narrow 

 streams which constitute the favourite haunts of 

 many of the true Ducks and Pochards, and many of 

 its habits more resemble those of the Geese than of 

 the genuine family of A^ias ; amongst others, I may 

 especially mention its active and easy carriage on 

 land as contrasted with the shuffling gait of the 

 Ducks and the ungainly waddle of the Pochards. 



182. MALLARD. 



Anas hoscas. 



Common and more or less resident throughout our 

 county, this well-known bird breeds in considerable 

 numbers in all suitable localities, but we do not now 

 hear of the vast congregations that used to frequent 



