308 AMERICAN WIDGEON. 



entice them within gunshot. They are not known to breed in 

 any part of the United States. Are common in the winter 

 months along the bays of Egg Harbour 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 ex- 

 cellent. They are of a lively frolicksome 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 colour, 

 the nail black; the front and crown cream coloured, 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 be- 

 fore, 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 scapu- 

 lars 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, brown- 

 ish ash, the two middle feathers an inch longer than the rest, 

 and tapering; shoulder of the wing brownish 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, 



thickly speckled with black, very little rufous on the breast; the 



back is dark brown. The young males, as usual, very much 



like the females during the first season, and do not receive their 



* Hutchins.. 



