WHITWALL—WIGEON 1039 
remarkably loud song, and in consequence are highly valued on the 
continent of Europe, where two species at least spend the summer. 
One of them, H. icterina, has occurred more than once in the 
British Islands, and their absence as regular visitors is to be re- 
gretted. Among the minor characteristics of this little group is 
one afforded by their eggs, which are of a deeper or paler brownish- 
pink, spotted with purplish-black. Their nests are beautiful 
structures, combining warmth with lightness in a way that cannot 
be fully appreciated by any description. 
A great number of other more or less allied forms, interesting 
as they are in various ways, cannot for want of space be here 
mentioned. 
WHITWALL (spelling various), see WOODPECKER. 
WHOOP, a local name for the BULLFINCH: WHOOPER, the 
ordinary Wild Swan. 
WHYDAH-BIRD, by mistake for Wipow-BIRD (see WEAVER- 
BIRD). 
WIDE-AWAKE, a seamen’s name for certain TERNS (page 957) 
differing a good deal from the rest in habit and appearance—laying 
but a single egg in their nest and being of a sooty colour above. 
By some writers they have been placed in a distinct genus, Ony- 
choprion, which Mr. Saunders (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1876, p. 666; Cat. B. 
Br. Mus. xxv. p. 110) refuses to recognize, especially in view of 
the connecting link afforded by the Sterna aleutica. They form, how- 
ever, an easily recognized group—sS. lwnata, hitherto found only in the 
Pacific Ocean, and S. anaxstheta and S. fuliginosa having a very wide 
distribution within and near the tropics. These crowd at certain 
seasons in innumerable multitude to certain suitable islands, where 
they breed, and the wonderful assemblage at present known as 
“Wide-awake fair” on the island of Ascension has been more 
or less fully described from very ancient times. Dampier in his 
voyage to New Holland in 1699 particularly described and figured 
the Sooty Tern (Voyages, iii. p. 142), discriminating it from the 
Noddy, from which it had not before been distinguished. 
WIDOW-BIRD, see WEAVER-BIRD (p. 1030). 
WIGEON (Fr. Vigeon, Lat. Vipio1), the Mareca penelope of modern 
ornithology, one of the most abundant species of Ducks throughout 
the greater part of Europe and northern Asia, reaching northern 
Africa and India in winter. A good many pairs breed in the north 
of Scotland ; but the nurseries of the vast numbers which resort in 
1 Just as PicEon is from Pipio. Other French names, more or less local, are, 
according to M. Rolland, Vignon, Vingeon, Wagne, Woinge, Wignet, Wuiot, 
Vioux and Digeon. In some parts of England the small teasing flies, generally 
called midges, are known as ‘‘ wigeons.” 
