EIDER DUCK.. 145 
When I was a boy I heard of nests, almost annually, on some of 
the marshes 1 knew most familiarly. The Teal builds a nest of 
abundance of different vegetable substances, varying according 
to the locality and its productions, and lines it with down and 
feathers, the concealment afforded by the neighbouring herbage 
being carefully adopted. ight to ten or twelve eggs are laid, of 
a buffy-white, 13 inch long by rather over 12 broad. 
250. WIGEON—(Axas Penelope). 
Whewer, Whim.—Mr. Waterton has recorded an observation 
on the habits of this Duck, which is of great interest. Whereas, 
all the birds of the Duck-kind which we have hitherto named are 
night-feeders, the Wigeon obtains its food by day, “and that 
food is grass.” The great body of our winter visitors of this 
- species retire to the north to breed about the end of March, or 
April; but a few have been ascertained to remain for that pur- 
pose in north Scotland. A nest, found on Loch Laighal in 
Sutherlandshire, was ‘‘ placed in the midst of a clump of grass, and 
was made of decayed rushes and reeds, with a lining of its own 
down. The eges were smaller than those of the Wild Duck, and 
of a rich cream-white colour.” The number of eggs laid varies 
between five and eight or nine; the length, 2} inches by 14 
in breadth. 
251. AMERICAN WIGEON—(dnzas Americana). 
Of entirely rare and accidental occurrence. 
252. EIDER DUCK—(Somateria mollissima). 
St. Cuthbert’s Duck.—We have now arrived at another section 
of the Duck family. Those hitherto named all frequent the 
fresh waters, and chiefly affect those that are of no great extent 
or depth. These, the first of which we have just named, fre- 
quent the sea or, in a few instances, the deepest parts of large 
freshwater Jakes. The Hider Duck, well-known to most of us by 
L 
