WIGEON oL 
and leaves in the construction of the nest, the lining being 
supplied with down from the bird’s own body. ‘The situation 
chosen is the neighbourhood of some lake or river, and the 
nest itself is cleverly concealed. . 
The eggs are from five to eight, or, Meyer says, ten or 
twelve in number. They are of a fine cream-white colour. 
When the hen bird begins to sit, the male retires into 
seclusion. The incubation of the eggs continues for twenty- 
four or twenty-five days. The young, as soon almost as 
hatched, betake themselves to the water. 
Both the male and female Wigeon have been known to 
pair with the Pintail, and with the Common Duck. 
Male: weight, about twenty-three or twenty-four ounces; 
length, nearly one foot eight inches. The bill is narrow, and 
- of a bluish lead-colour, the tip and the tooth black; iris, dark 
dusky brown—from it a green streak passes backwards. The 
head is high, and narrow in shape. From the forenead extends 
over the crown a band of fine yellowish orange cream-colour, 
forming a sort of crest; the remainder of the head and neck 
rich chesnut, speckled with black—it is divided from the breast 
by a band or collar of beautiful narrow waved. lines of brown 
and white; nape, beautifully barred with black and pale reddish 
white; chin and throat, almost black. The breast, on the upper 
part and sides, is pale vinous red, lightest in front, and darkest 
on the sides; below, the breast is white, and rayed with grey 
on the sides, paler lower down. Back, variegated with greyish 
white and black in fine irregular undulating lines. 
The wings have the first and second quiil feathers of nearly 
equal length. They expand to the width of two feet three 
or four inches. The ridge of the wing is dusky grey brown; 
greater wing coverts, white, tipped with black, forming an 
upper border to the ‘beauty spot; of the lesser wing coverts 
the upper ones are grey, finely powdered with white; the others 
white. Primaries, dusky brown; of the secondaries ‘those next 
the body have the margin of the outer webs more or less white. 
The speculum is glossy green, with a broad edge of black 
above and below. ‘Tertiaries, velvet black on the “outer w ebs, 
with white edges, the inner ones deep greyish brown: they 
are very long. The tail is wedge-shaped, the two middle 
feathers being pointed, and considerably longer than the others; 
these are dusky black, with a tinge of hoary grey; the others, 
wuich are also pointed, grey edged with rufous brown. There 
are fourteen feathers in all. Upper tail coverts, black, edged 
