WIGEON. 291 



Richard Dann, Esq. has all the appearance of being a 

 hybrid between the Wigeon and Common Duck. A few 

 pairs breed in Holland, according to M. Temminck ; 

 and these birds are abundant in France and Germany 

 throughout the winter. They are found in Spain, and 

 are observed at Genoa on their passage in spring ; and 

 from Italy and Sicily are said to go as far south as 

 Egypt. Mr. Strickland saw Wigeon at Smyrna during 

 winter. It has been observed in the vicinity of the Cau- 

 casus, and is found in various parts of India, in China, 

 and Japan. 



In the adult male the bill is brownish -black, tinged with 

 lead colour ; irides dark brown ; from the eye a green 

 streak passing backwards ; forehead and top of the head 

 cream white ; the cheeks and hind part of the neck rich 

 reddish chestnut; interscapulars, scapulars, and all the 

 back greyish -white, crossed with irregular zigzag lines of 

 black ; upper tail-coverts freckled with grey ; tail-feathers 

 elongated, pointed, and nearly black ; wing-coverts white, 

 tipped with black ; the primaries uniform dark brown ; 

 the outer webs of the secondaries form a green speculum 

 edged with black ; the black outer webs of the tertials 

 broadly edged with white ; the inner webs hair-brown ; 

 chin and neck in front almost black ; lower part of the 

 neck and the space before the wing pale rufous ; under 

 wing, sides, and flanks, marked with dark transverse zig- 

 zag lines on a ground of white ; breast, belly, and vent 

 white ; under tail-coverts velvet black ; legs, toes, and 

 their membranes dark brown. 



The whole length is eighteen inches. From the carpal 

 joint or point of the wing to the end of the longest quill- 

 feather, ten inches and a half; the length of the first and 

 second primary quill feathers nearly equal. 



The adult male birds undergo considerable change in 



u 2 



