THE WIDGEON.] 



SHOOTING, 



[the teal. 



parts during the winter, at the end of wliich 

 the old birds pair ; and the whole flock, in full 

 plumage, take their departure northward 

 about the end of March. AVhile the widgeon 

 remains in Britain, it frequents the same 

 places, and feeds in the same mode as the 

 mallard, and is often taken in the decoys, 

 along with different species of the duck tribe. 



There are a great number of birds called 

 divers; and among the number are the scoter, 

 scaup, golden-eye, and morillon. Colonel 

 Hawker says there are seven kinds of these 

 divers to be found in Great Britain, exclusively 

 of other sis, which are separately classed as 

 the genus Mergus. Mr. Daniel observes, that 

 " they vary much both in plumage and size ; 

 some weighing two pounds and a-half, and 

 others a pound less, and are caught in the de- 

 coys with the ducks. In hard weather, they 

 frequent the shores and tide rivers in great 

 plenty, and are almost always, at that season, 

 fat and in good condition. They do not fly in 

 such large flocks as many of the duck species, 

 but usually close to the surface of the water, 

 and bear very hard blows from the shot with- 

 out dropping, unless struck upon the head or 

 wing. The scoter is seen in prodigious num- 

 bers, from November to March, on the French 

 coasts, especially if the wind be to the nortli, or 

 north-west. The day seems to be spent by these 

 birds between diving and flying to small dis- 

 tances over the water, which they do so low as 

 often to dip their legs in it. They swallow 

 their food whole, and soon digest the shells, 

 which are found crumbled to powder among 

 their excrements. They have been kept tame 

 for some time, and will feed on soaked bread. 

 The flesh tastes fishy in the extreme ; and, 

 from this cause, is allowed by the Eoman 

 Catholics to be eaten on fast days and in 

 Lent ; and, indeed, to say the truth, must be a 

 sufficient mortification." 



However amusing the shooting of these 

 birds may be, it is not attended with much 

 profit, as they are very difficult to hit. They 

 are wonderfully quick in diving; for the 

 moment the gun is pointed, down they go. 

 In stormy weather— that is, with the wind 

 from the north-east, cold and frosty — a sports- 

 man on the east coast of Britain, may now and 

 then waylay these birds on their flights, and 

 succeed in bagging a few brace ; but even to do 

 590 



this, great exertion, patience, and the concur- 

 rence of favourable circumstances, are required. 



THE TEAL. 



The Anas Crecea of Linnaeus is a great fa- 

 vourite with many sportsmen, and is consid- 

 ered both a beautiful and handsome bird. It 

 is about twelve ounces in weight, fifteen inches 

 in length, and twenty-four in breadth. The 

 bill is dark, tipped with white. The irides ai*e 

 pale ; and a glossy bottle-green patch, fringed 

 on the upper side with pale brown, and be- 

 neath with cream-coloured white, covers each 

 eye, and extends to the nape of the neck. The 

 rest of the head, and the upper part of the 

 neck, are of a deep reddish chestnut, darkest 

 on the forehead, and freckled on the chin and 

 about the eyes with cream-coloured spots. 

 The hinder part of the neck, the shoulders, 

 part of the scapulars, sides under the wings, 

 and lower belly towards the vent, are pen- 

 cilled with black, ash-brown, and white trav- 

 ersed waved lines. The breast is of a pale brown 

 or reddish yellow, and each feather is tipped 

 with a roundish heart-shaped black spot, having 

 a resemblance to the markings of the Indian 

 shell. The belly is a cream-coloured white. 

 The quills, lesser and greater coverts, are 

 brown, and the last are deeply tipped with 

 white, which form a bar across the wings. The 

 first six of the secondary quills are of a fine 

 velvet black ; while those next to them, towards 

 the scapulars, are resplendent glossy green ; and 

 both are tipped with white, forming the divided 

 black and green bar, or heauty-spot of the wings. 



The tail consists of fourteen feathers, of a 

 whitish brown colour, with pale edges ; and the 

 legs and feet are of a dingy lead. The female, 

 which is less than the male, has its head and 

 neck prettily freckled with brown and white. 

 She has not the green patch between the eyes, 

 but a brown streak supplies its place, and ex- 

 tends to the nape of the neck. The crown of 

 the head is dark brown. The upper mandible 

 yellow on the edges, olive green on the sides, 

 and olive brown on the ridge. The nail is 

 black, and the under bill yellow. The breast 

 and belly are of a glossy yellowish white, irreg- 

 ularly spotted with brown. The upper plu- 

 mage is dark brown, each feather being bor- 

 dered with rusty brown, and fringed with grey. 

 The wings are like those of the male bird. 



