WIGEON. 289 



bank at their ease, it is devouring with avidity that same 

 kind of short grass on which the Goose is known to feed. 

 Hence, though many flocks of Wigeons accompany the 

 other water-fowl in their nocturnal wanderings, still num- 

 bers of them pass the whole of the night here ; and this 

 I know to be a fact, by their singular whistling noise, 

 which is heard at all hours." 



In March and April the Wigeon again moves north- 

 ward for the breeding- season, and it is only within the 

 . last few years that a small number have been ascertained 

 to remain in the most northern part of Scotland, to breed 

 about the lakes of Sutherlandshire. Colonel Hawker says, 

 that " Wigeon either choose their mates, or detach them- 

 selves into small trips preparative to so doing, by about 

 Valentine's day." Mr. Selby, in his paper on the Birds 

 inhabiting the county of Sutherland, says, " as the Wi- 

 geon had not previously been detected breeding in Britain, 

 we were much pleased to observe several pairs upon the 

 smaller lochs near Lairg, which we concluded had their 

 nests among the reeds and other herbage which grew in 

 their vicinity. We were not so fortunate, however, as to 

 find one here, though diligent search was made ; but 

 afterwards, upon one of the islands of Loch Laighal, we 

 sprung a female, which was shot from her nest, containing 

 seven eggs. It was placed in the heart of a large rush 

 bush, and was made of decayed rushes and reeds, with a 

 lining of warm down from the bird's body. The eggs 

 were smaller than those of the Wild Duck, and of a rich 

 cream-white colour." The length two inches and one- 

 eighth, by one inch and a half in breadth. Sir W. Jar- 

 dine, who was one of the exploring party with Mr. Selby 

 in Sutherlandshire, in June, 1834, mentions that "Wigeon 

 were seen upon Loch Shin, Loch Naver, Loch Loyal, and 

 Loch Hope. They were by no means abundant ; and it is 



VOL. III. U 



