394 THE WIGEON. 



all doubt, of what I had long suspected, namely, that wigeons feed 

 upon grass, exactly after the manner of geese. A flock of them was 

 then feeding opposite the windows. I took the large telescope, and 

 distinctly saw them feeding voraciously on the green short blades of 

 grass. Whilst I am writing this (January i2th, 1835) the ground is 

 covered with snow, except under some large elm trees ; and at the 

 root of these there are, just now, above one hundred wigeons and 

 thirty coots, all feeding on the grass which is not concealed by the 

 snow. 



In other places, where persecution is the wigeon's lot, no doubt it 

 will be very shy in frequenting pastures during the day ; and, of 

 course, it will be compelled, contrary to its natural habits, to seek for 

 food throughout the night, in company with its congeners. 



As the ordinary food of the wigeons is evidently grass, perhaps 

 there may not be a sufficient supply of it in those high northern 

 regions, whither the water-fowl are supposed to repair when they 

 leave us in spring. Should this conjecture prove well founded, we 

 can account for the wigeon remaining with us till the beginning of 

 May, at which period all the migratory water-birds (saving a few teal, 

 which are known to breed in England) must be busily employed, far 

 away from us, in the essential work of incubation. 



Though we are quite ignorant of the manner and place in which 

 the wigeon makes its nest, and of the number and colour of its eggs, 

 still we are in possession of a clew to lead us to the fact, that it 

 hatches its young long after its congeners the mallards have hatched 

 theirs. The mallards return hither, in full plumage, early in the 

 month of October ; but the wigeons are observed to be in their 

 mottled plumage as late as the end of November. Again, as the 

 old male wigeon returns to these latitudes in mottled plumage, we 

 may safely infer that he undergoes the same process of a double 

 moulting as the mallard. 



I offer to ornithologists these few observations and speculations 

 on the economy of the wigeon, to be approved of, or reproved, or 

 improved, just as they may think fit. Every disquisition, be it ever 

 so short, will help a little to put the science of ornithology upon a 

 somewhat better footing than that on which it stands at present 

 From reviews, which I have lately read with more than ordinary 



