WIGEON. 539 



ANAS PENELOPE. 

 WIGEON. 



(Plate G3.) 



Anas fistiilaris, Briss. Orn. vi. p. 391 (17G0). 



Anas penelope, Linn. S'jst. Nut. i. p. 202 (17GG) ; et auctorum plurimorum — 



Temmtncli, Naumami, (Drcsser\ {Saunders), &c. 

 Anas cogolca, S. G. Gmel. Beise Russl. i. p. 70 (1770). 

 Anas kogolca, S. G. Gmel. Nov. Com. Petrop. xv. p. 468, pi. 21 (1771). 

 Mareca fistularis (Briss.), Steph. S/taw^s Gen. Zool. xii. pt. ii. p. 131 (1824). 

 Wareca penelope {Linn.), Selhy, Brit. Orn. ii. p. 324 (1833). 



The Wigeon is one of the best-known and most plentiful of the Ducks 

 that regularly visit the British Islands in winter. It is found not only on 

 the coast, but on the lakes, bogs, and marshes of the inland districts, 

 though it is most abundant on tidal waters. It leaves for the north in April, 

 but a few remain behind to breed, and have been observed doing so in the 

 shires of Ross and Sutherland, in Cromarty, and in the Orkneys and 

 Shetlands. It has been said to breed in the Western Islands, but con- 

 firmation of the fact is wanting. It has never been actually found 

 breeding in Ireland, but very probably does so in the most secluded places ; 

 it has, however, bred in a state of semi- domestication at Lord Sligo's seat. 

 It has never yet been proved to breed in a wild state in England, but has 

 been strongly suspected to do so in Norfolk. 



The Wigeon is a very common Arctic species of Duck confined to the 

 Old World during the breeding-season. South of lat. 60° it is only found 

 breeding under exceptional circumstances ; but I have taken its eggs in the 

 lower valley of the Danube, and nests have been taken in France, Germany, 

 Denmark, Bohemia, and in the Baikal basin. It occurs on j)assage in the 

 Faroes, but breeds in Iceland, and is an accidental visitor to Greenland 

 and the Atlantic coast of North Amei'ica ; it also visits the American 

 continent at the eastern limit of its range, being not unfrequent in winter 

 on the Pacific coast from Alaska to California. It passes through Central 

 Europe, Turkestan, and Mongolia on migration, and winters on the southern 

 shores of the North Sea, the coasts of France and Spain, Madeira, through- 

 out the basins of the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas (ranging in 

 North-east Africa as far south as Abyssinia), India, Burma, China, and 

 Japan, being especially abundant in the two latter countries. It is repre- 

 sented in the New World by the American Wigeon, a very distinct bird,, 

 which is treated of in the next article. 



The Wigeon has probably derived its name from its remarkable note, but^ 



2 N .2 



