78 WATER FOWL OF INDIA AND ASIA. 
its eggs, which are creamy-white, in holes in trees. 
Indeed it seems very much of a land and tree-duck, 
as it is sometimes found in oakwoods, feeding on 
fallen acorns, and flying up into the trees when dis- 
turbed. The male’s note is a sort of snorting whistle, 
the female’s a sneezing quack, not loud in either case. 
The male is much attached to his mate, caresses 
her like a Pigeon, and constantly shows off his fine 
plumage before her ; when on the wing, however, all 
his finery is inconspicuous, and only the broad white 
eye-brows are noticeable. The only specimen which has 
occurred wild in India is a female shot out of a flock 
of six in Assam in March 1902. 
The Wigeon. 
Mareca penelope,* BLANFORD, Faun. Brit. Ind., 
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 445. 
VERNACULAR NAMES :—Peasan, Patani, Pharia 
Chota-Lalsir, H.; Cheyun, Nepal; Parow, Sind. 
The Wigeon is easily distinguished from all other 
Indian Ducks by its characteristic form. The bill is 
very short and tapers slightly ; the shanks are also 
short, and the feet of moderate size. The wings are 
long and pointed, and the tail is pointed also. The 
sexes differ absolutely in plumage, and the male in 
undress differs from the female more than is usual 
with drakes in this stage. The male has a large bony 
drum in the windpipe. 
The male’s full plumage is of a general pencilled-grey 
colour, produced by fine black lines on white ; the head 
*JT have given the specific name of the Wigeon as it is now always 
written by naturalists ; but it really ought to be Henelops, as Gesner and 
Linnzeus had it; for this isthe ancient Greek name of some kind of 
Duck, probably one with pencilled plumage, since feze means a web of 
cloth in process of weaving and reminds one of our term Canvas-back 
for the big American Pochard. It could hardly have been the Wigeon, 
since this was probably the Duck known as éaskas ‘‘ the grazer.” 
