174 ANATINJE. MARECA. 



female. The Wigeons frequent marshy places, pools, lakes, 

 and rivers ; feed on seeds, grass, roots, insects, and mol- 

 lusca ; immerse their necks while swimming ; walk with 

 ease, often betaking themselves to dry pastures, and have a 

 rapid flight. 



252. MARECA PENELOPE. EUROPEAN WIGEON. 



Male with the bill an inch and two-thirds long, from eight 

 and a half to seven and a half twelfths broad ; scapulars and 

 inner secondaries elongated and tapering; tail-feathers mo- 

 derately acuminate ; a longitudinal ridge of rather elongated 

 decurved feathers on the head and nape ; bill pale blue with 

 the tip black ; upper part of head reddish-white ; cheeks and 

 upper neck brownish-red, dotted with black ; a longitudinal 

 band of the latter on the throat ; fore part and sides of the 

 lower neck light vinaceous ; upper parts and sides below the 

 wings finely barred with white and dark grey ; wings grey, 

 with a large patch of white ; the speculum green, with an an- 

 terior and a posterior band of black ; inner secondaries white, 

 grey, and black ; tail grey ; upper tail-coverts partly black ; 

 breast and abdomen white; feathers under the tail black. 

 Female smaller, with the head and upper neck yellowish-red, 

 with small greenish-black spots, the feathers being barred 

 with that colour ; upper parts of the body dusky-brown, the 

 feathers edged and barred with brownish-red ; wings dusky- 

 grey, many of the coverts tipped with white ; speculum grey- 

 ish, without lustre ; tail-feathers brownish-grey, edged with 

 brownish- white ; fore-neck obscurely barred with reddish- 

 brown and brownish-grey ; breast and abdomen white ; under 

 tail-feathers barred with brown, as are the smaller lower 

 wing-coverts, the larger pale grey. 



Male, 20|, 35, 10|, !&, lib 1 J, T V Female, 19, 32. ^ 



The Wigeons begin to make their appearance in Britain 

 toward the end of September, and depart in the end of March 

 or beginning of April. They are generally dispersed, in the 

 northern parts rare, but very abundant in the southern, not 

 only frequenting rivers and lakes, but also estuaries and the 

 open coasts. Their food consists chiefly of vegetable sub- 

 stances, and their flesh is highly esteemed. 



Common Wigeon. Whew Duck. Paudle Whew. Yellow 

 Poll. Red-headed Wigeon. Baldpate. Whewer. Whim. 



