THE WIGEON. 179 



I am satisfied in ray own mind, that the wigeon 

 does not stay here to breed. All my endeavours to 

 find its nest have hitherto been ineffectual ; nor can 

 I recollect to have met with one well authenticated 

 account of the wigeon's eggs having ever been found 

 in England. 



Formerly, I used to consider the wigeon as one 

 of those migratory birds of which little could ever 

 be known, as it merely came here to spend the winter 

 months amongst us, in order to avoid the dismal 

 tempests which were raging in its own native land. 

 Under this erroneous impression, I always availed 

 myself of every opportunity to get a shot at the 

 wigeons. Of course, this made them exceedingly 

 shy and wary ; for persecution soon shows to birds 

 the danger of placing themselves within the reach of 

 man. Hence their visits here were few and transi- 

 tory ; and sometimes weeks elapsed without my see- 

 ing a single wigeon on the water. 



Since I have shut the temple of Janus, and pro- 

 claimed undisturbed repose to those of the feathered 

 race which come to seek for shelter here, the wigeons 

 are in great abundance ; and, from the time of their 

 arrival to the period of their departure, they may be 

 found here every day, whether in a frosty, a snowy, 

 or an open season. A stranger, on observing them, 

 would hardly suppose that they are wild fowl ; for 

 he will often see nearly one hundred of them con- 

 gregating with the tame ducks, not sixty yards from 

 the kitchen windows. Protection has restored to 

 them their innate familiarity ; and now I am enabled 

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