CH. IV. WIDGEON ON LOCH NAVER. 61 



came within a yard of where I was sitting, and, 

 after looking up, they continued catching the 

 small water-insects, etc., on the weeds without 

 minding my presence in the least. 



After having apparently exhausted the food in 

 one pool, on a signal from the male they suddenly 

 both took wing, and flew away to a fresh feeding- 

 place two or three hundred yards off, where we 

 afterwards found them. Though we could not dis- 

 cover their nest, I have no doubt that they had eggs 

 very near the spot where we saw them. Indeed, 

 on dissecting the female we found two eggs in her, 

 nearly full-sized, so that probably she had already 

 deposited the other two, which would have made 

 her number complete. I find no account of this 

 bird breeding on the mainland of Scotland. 



A great many widgeon breed about Loch Naver. 

 I saw several drakes sitting on the points of grass 

 running out into the lake, shining brightly in their 

 beautiful and variegated summer dress. I also 

 came upon an old duck- widgeon, who kept flutter- 

 ing round my feet. On looking closely I found 

 about seven young widgeon two or three days old, 

 very like wild-ducks of the same age, but having, 

 instead of the green colour of the young mallard, 

 a kind of reddish brown tinge over the whole of 

 their down. They soon scuttled away into the 



