BRITISH BIRDS. 145 



GENUS CXVI. MARECA, Stephens (1824). 

 Bill shorter than head, higher than wide at base, 

 depressed and narrowing towards tip ; laminae scarcely 

 discernible. Tarsus short ; hind toe possessing a narrow 

 lobe. 



216. Mareea penelope (Linn.). WIGEON. 



Hab. Northern Palaearctic region ; also Alaska and 

 Greenland. In winter migratory. 



Male : crown and forehead cream-colour ; rest of head 

 and neck chestnut, speckled on cheeks and nape with dark 

 green, and with a stripe of same through eye ; mantle and 

 scapulars greyish-white, with fine dusky vermiculations ; 

 wing-coverts white, tipped with black ; speculum metallic 

 green followed by a black band ; primaries and tail 

 blackish ; breast and belly white ; under tail-coverts 

 black ; sides greyish with fine dusky vermiculations ; bill 

 bluish-slate ; iris dark brown ; feet dark brown. Length 

 17*50. Female : slightly smaller ; head and neck reddish- 

 brown, spotted with darker brown ; feathers of upper parts 

 dusky in centre with pale margins ; wing-coverts whitish ; 

 speculum greyish-green ; breast pale brown ; under white 

 mottled with buff. About August male assumes for a time 

 a similar plumage to female's, this being also the case in 

 most succeeding genera. 



A common winter visitor ; in Scotland also breeding 

 throughout the Highlands and more sparingly in the 

 Orkneys and Shetlands. 



The down-lined nest is concealed in heather, rushes or 

 rank grass. Eggs : 7 or 8 ; cream-colour ; 2*20 by 1.50. 



217. Mareea amerieana (Gm.). AMERICAN WIGEON. 

 Hab. Western Arctic America. In winter southward 

 to Central America and West Indies. 



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