WIGEON. 459 



the commonest species, but do not now, I believe, breed in the dis- 

 trict, though it is probable that they did so formerly.' 



One of the most abundant and best known of the " game 

 ducks " is the Wigeon, which is an exceedingly common 

 autumn or winter visitant, the first comers, generally young 

 birds, arriving in August and September. The earliest date 

 of which I am aware at Redcar is nth August 1883, when 

 one was shot on Coatham Marsh ; at Spurn, the earliest 

 record is the 26th of the same month, 1892. Later in the 

 season, in October and November, flights of both old and young 

 join the ranks of the first arrivals, and congregate in large 

 numbers in the Tees and Humber estuaries, or on the sea 

 adjacent ; the majority of these are young males and females 

 or adult males, the old females being considered very scarce. 



Off the Cleveland coast, the Wigeon is very frequently 

 observed passing along shore, to the north-west, on migration, 

 and at times comes within range of the fowlers stationed on 

 the " scars " or sand-hills, who take toll of their numbers. 

 In some seasons, when favourable winds from the east or 

 north-east prevail at the time of full moon, immense flights 

 are seen ; I have noticed them passing incessantly, from early 

 morn till noon, in flocks numbering several hundred birds ; 

 such was the case in the first week of November 1878, on 

 ist October 1887, the I3th and I4th October 1894, and the 

 29th and 30th October 1901 ; it was very abundant also in 

 the Tees and Humber in the winter of 1864-65 ; in January 

 of that winter a Teesmouth punt-shooter, whose game-book 

 I have been privileged to examine, killed twenty-three 

 " Whews " at one discharge of his big gun. 



The Wigeon leaves for its northern nesting quarters in 

 March or April, though I once saw an assemblage of fine 

 males and females, in full summer plumage, sunning themselves 

 on the sides of one of the " stells " on the Tees Marshes as 

 late as 4th May 1899, and on the I5th of May, in the year 

 1902, I noted two pairs flying about the reclaimed land at the 

 estuary. 



The standard authorities on British Birds state that this 

 .duck has not been known to breed in a wild state in England, 



