364 



HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



THE WIDGEON. 



sea, while those which visit the wilderness of Upper 

 Canada, where they are abundant in the summer, will 

 probably migrate from twenty-five to thirty degrees 

 every spring and autumn. 



The Widgeon, or Bald-Pate (Anas Americana) is 

 another California game bird. 



The Widgeon, or Bald-Pate, is a frequent attend- 

 ant on the canvas-back, and often profits by this asso- 

 ciation. The former, not being commonly in the 

 habit of diving for subsistence, or merely from caprice, 

 watches the motions of its industrious neighbor, and 

 as soon as the canvas-back rises with the favorite 

 root on which they both greedily feed, the Bald-Pate 

 snatches the morsel and makes off with his booty. 

 They are always very alert and lively, feeding and 

 swimming out into the ponds and rivers at all hours 

 of the day, but are extremely watchful, sheltering in 

 coves and behind the land, and on the slighest attempt 

 to steal upon them, immediately row out into the 



