110 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



birds. They feed little during the day, but in the evenings come 

 out from their hiding-places, and are then easily traced by their 

 particular whistle, or whew-whew. This soft note or whistle, is 

 frequently imitated with success, to entice them within gun- 

 shot. They are not known to breed in any part of the United 

 States ; are common, in the winter months, along the bays of 

 Eo""" Hai'bor and Cape May, and also those of the Delaware. 

 They leave these places in April, and appear upon the 

 coasts of Hudson's Bay in May, as soon as the thaws come on, 

 chiefly in pairs ; lay there only from six to eight eggs, and feed 

 on flies and worms in the swamps ; depart in flocks in autumn. 



" These birds are frequently brought to the market of Balti- 

 more, and generally bring a good price, their flesh being excel- 

 lent. They are of a lively, frolicsome disposition, and, with 

 proper attention, might easily be domesticated. 



" The Widgeon, or Bald-pate, measures twenty-two inches 

 in length, and thirty inches in extent ; the bill is of a slate- 

 color ; the nail black ; the front and crown cream-colored, 

 sometimes nearly white, the feathers inflated ; from the eye 

 backwards to the middle of the neck behind, extends a band of 

 deep glossy green, gold and purple ; throat, chin and sides of 

 the neck before, as far as the green extends, dull yellowish- 

 white, thickly speckled with black ; breast and hind part of the 

 neck, hoary bay, running in under the wings, where it is crossed 

 with fine waving lines of black ; whole belly white ; vent black ; 

 back and scapulars black, thickly and beautifully crossed with 

 undulating lines of vinous-bay ; lower part of the back more 

 dusky ; tail coverts long, pointed, whitish, crossed as the back ; 

 tail pointed, brownish-ash ; the two middle feathers an inch 

 longer than the rest and tapering ; shoulder of the wing brown- 

 ish-ash ; wing coverts immediately below, white, forming a 

 large spot ; primaries brownish-ash ; middle secondaries black, 

 glossed with green, forming the speculum ; tertials black, edged 

 with white, between which and the beauty-spot, several of the 

 secondaries are white. 



" The female has the whole head and neck yellowish-white 



