290 ANATID^E. 



The female Wigeon has not been known to breed in 

 confinement that I am aware of, but the male has bred 

 with a Pintailed Duck, and in another instance with a 

 dun-coloured variety of the Common Duck. A preserved 

 specimen given me by Richard Dann, Esq. has all the ap- 

 pearance of being a hybrid between the Wigeon and Com- 

 mon Duck. A few pairs breed in Holland, according to 

 M. Temminck ; and these birds are abundant in France 

 and Germany throughout the winter. They are found in 

 Spain, and are observed at Genoa on their passage in 

 spring; and from Italy and Sicily are said to go as far 

 south as Egypt. Mr. Strickland saw Wigeon at Smyrna 

 during winter. It has been observed in the vicinity of the 

 Caucasus, and is found in various parts of India, in China, 

 and Japan. 



In the adult male the bill is brownish-black, tinged with 

 lead colour ; irides dark brown ; from the eye a green 

 streak passing backwards ; forehead and top of the head 

 cream white ; the cheeks and hind part of the neck rich 

 reddish chestnut ; interscapulars, scapulars, and all the 

 back greyish-white, crossed with irregular zigzag lines of 

 black ; upper tail-coverts freckled with grey ; tail-feathers 

 elongated, pointed, and nearly black ; wing-coverts white, 

 tipped with black ; the primaries uniform dark-brown ; 

 the outer webs of the secondaries form a green speculum 

 edged with black ; the black outer webs of the tertials 

 broadly edged with white ; the inner webs hair-brown ; 

 chin and neck in front almost black ; lower part of the 

 neck and the space before the wing pale rufous ; under 

 wing, sides, and flanks, marked with dark transverse zig- 

 zag lines on a ground of white ; breast, belly, and vent 

 white ; under tail-coverts velvet black ; legs, toes, and 

 their membranes dark brown. 



