338 NATATORES. 



and fly during the night, uttering a sort of hoarse and 

 clacking whistle as they pursue their course. 



In the outline of its form, the widgeon bears more resem- 

 blance to the wild duck than to the larger species of teal ; 

 but it is smaller and differently marked. The length is 

 about twenty inches, the breadth about twenty-eight, and 

 the weight less than a pound and a half. The bill and feet 

 are bluish, the latter with a rudimental web to the hind toe, 

 indicating a slight approach to the other division of the 

 ducks ; the nail of the bill is black or dusky ; the irides 

 brown ; and the wings peat black, with a green bar across 

 the middle. The ground colour of the head, neck, and 

 breast, is reddish brown, with a purplish black on the breast. 

 The forehead, which runs high and narrow, is cream colour, 

 with the feathers slightly produced, and there is a small spot 

 of the same under the eyes. The chin and throat are 

 mottled with dusky, and the head less distinctly with the 

 same. The neck and breast are separated by a collar of 

 very fine bars of white and black ; the colours of which 

 are continued along the sides to the thighs. The back and 

 scapulars are marked with nearly the same ; the coverts 

 are brown, with more or less of white, and black tips, the 

 primaries are brown, with the secondaries black, with some 

 white, and the spot green. The tail is ash colour, bordered 

 with yellowish, the two middle feathers being pointed and 

 larger, and darker than the others. The upper and under 

 tail-coverts are black, the belly and vent white. The upper 

 part of the female is brown, with the middle of the feathers 

 dusky, the young are of a brownish grey colour, and so is 

 the male in the winter plumage, though he retains as much 

 of the character of his gayer plumage as makes him easily 

 distinguished from the female or the younger birds; the 

 neck bears a considerable resemblance to that of the common 

 teal. The eggs are about the same in number, and of a 



