210 BIKDS OF TUNISIA 



MARECA PENELOPE (Linnteus). 

 WIGEON. 



Anas penelops, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 202 (1766). 



Mareca penelope, Selhy, Brit. Om. ii, p. 32i (1833) ; Salvadori, Cat. 



Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii, p. 227 ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 382 



(1867) ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 296 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 103 ; 



Whitaker, Ibis, 1895, p. 105. 

 Anas penelope, Malherbc, Faune Om. de VAlij. p. 36 (1855) ; Erlamjer, 



J.f. 0. 1900, p. 71. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from North Tunisia. 



Forehead and fore-part of crown creamy-buff; rest of the head and neck 

 chestnut, becoming blackish on the chin and round tlie eye ; Ixick and upper 

 parts generally pencilled with black and white, rather browner on the rump ; 

 tail blackish-grey ; primaries brown ; secondaries showing a glossy-green 

 speculum between blackish bands ; breast pale vinous ; abdomen white ; 

 crissum and under tail-coverts black. 



Iris brown ; bill blue and black at the tip ; feet plumbeous. 



Total length 18 inches, wing 10, culmen 1-50, tarsus 1-40. 



Adult female, head and neck greyish-buff, striped with black ; upper- 

 parts chiefly blackish-brown, with whitish margins to the feathers ; under- 

 parts whitish, the breast marked with rufous-brown ; no metallic coloured 

 speculum. 



Soft parts as in the male, measurements rather less. 



The adult male in summer assumes a plumage resembling that of the 

 adult female, but the speculum and bright colouring of the wings are 

 distinctive characters. 



The Wigeon is most abundant in North Tunisia durint; the 

 winter months, arriving, together witli other Diiclis, in October and 

 November, and leaving again in February and March. It is aiso to 

 be found occasionally in the south of the Eegency, and I have an 

 example from the island of Djerba. Thei'e seems to be no recorded 

 instance of the species having nested in Tunisia, although Loche 

 states that it breeds in Algeria. In that country, as well as in 

 Marocco, the bird is plentiful in winter, and according to Favier, the 

 most abundant of all the Ducks near Tangier. 



Throughout the Mediterranean generally the species is plentiful 

 as a winter migrant, and in some parts of North Italy a few pairs are 

 said to breed. The true breeding-quarters of this Duck are, however, 

 further north. The Wigeon frequents both fresh and salt-water, and 



