182 AMONGST THE WOODLAND BIRDS— 
a brownish-black backed duck suddenly flew 
out and dived into the water almost at my 
feet. Ididnot know the bird, but on going to 
the tussock of grass which the bird had left, 
saw a nest with seven eggs, the size of ducks’, 
but more oval, and not greenish like the mal- 
lard’s or the pochard’s (see Part I, p. 122) but 
of a putty or cream colour. This I took to be 
a Wigeon’s nest ; and the bird I had seen to be 
the hen,as I will show. It was lucky that I 
had the camera with me, as authorities state 
that the wigeon rarely breeds in the south, 
migrating in Aprilor May to the north of Scot- 
land and Ireland for the purpose ; they spend 
the winter months from October in search of © 
food on mud flats and inland waters, mostly 
near the sea, where they are found in great 
numbers. At the breeding season the male 
wigeon has very fine plumage, and its colours 
are diversified. The bill is dull blue, fore- 
head and crown cream-white, neck and front 
of body chestnut with some spots of dark 
green, under part of body white and grey, 
shoulder white, end of wings black, and tail 
