498 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



presumes to approach his duck too closely. The one 

 in my pond has a terrible time of it throughout the 

 spring, endeavouring to keep off the Mallards, who 

 constantly make advances to his duck, especially 

 when their own ducks are sitting. 



The nest of a Wigeon which was found by Mr. 

 Selby, on one of the islands in a lake in Scotland, 

 " was placed in the heart of a large rush-bush, and 

 was made of deca3 r ed rushes and reeds, with a lining 

 of warm down from the bird's body." 



The food of the present species consists almost 

 entirely of grass, which, to judge by the tame ones, 

 it eats most greedily, as these spend nearly the 

 whole of the day in cropping the short grass on the 

 lawn. Meyer adds aquatic insects and larvae, worms 

 and small Mollusca, rarely the small fry of fish and 

 frogs : he also says it occasional^ eats grain, but 

 that it is no favourite food of the Wigeons, which 

 seems certainly to be the case : I have known my 

 tame ones reduced to eat grain with the other wild 

 fowl during deep snow, when they could get no grass, 

 but at other times they do not appear to care at all 

 about it. 4 



The Wigeon is a fine showy bird, and certainly a 

 great ornament on a pond. The drake has the beak 

 bluish lead-colour, tipped with black; hides dark 

 brown; forehead and top of the head white, very 

 slightly tinged with buff; the whole of the face, back 

 of the head, and neck all round, rich chesnut, slightly 



