AMERICAN WIDGEON. ] 35 



notice by Mr, Blyth to the Naturalist." It was 

 mixed with specimens of the common bird, and se- 

 lected as a variety ; and it appears that a female 

 also had been sent with the same lot of birds, but 

 was unfortunately not preserved. No trace of the 

 locality from which the bird was received is given, 

 and we have not heard of any other instance of its 

 occurrence within the limits of our islands.* In its 

 native country the range is of considerable extent, 

 most of the birds being migratory in their various 

 stations. It is abundant on the Colombia river, t 

 where it breeds in the woody districts ; J while Au- 

 dubon met with it in an opposite direction in the 

 Floridas, and along the shores of the Bay of Mexico 

 and in Texas ; he thinks that they also " propagate" 

 in the island of Cuba. (Some others of the West 

 . Indian Islands are al&o mentioned by authors as sta- 

 tions for the American widgeon, Martinique, St. 

 Domingo, &c.) In summer it frequents the retired 

 ponds of the forest, in company with the teals and 

 pintails, roving from one another in quest of food. 

 " They feed on the roots and seeds of grasses, water 

 insects, beech-nuts, small fry, and leeches." They 

 also frequent the rice-fields of Carolina, feeding on 

 that vegetable, when they are considered very deli 

 cate as an article of food. Their winter habits are 

 not noticed. 



* Is it certain that the widgeons in question were not re- 

 ceived from the continent, whence we believe quantities of 

 water-fowl come to the London markets ? 



f Townsend, quoted from Aud. iv. 339. 



Faun. Bor. Ainer. Birds, p. 437. 



