THE AMERICAN WIDGEON. 371 



adopted by succeeding ornithologists. Their food, consists of small 

 fish, shelly mollusca, insects and aquatic plants. 



THE AMERICAN WIDGEON. 



This species, so nearly allied to the European Widgeon, has not been 

 round in the old continent, yet it retires north to breed, inhabiting in 

 -summer the woody districts of the remote fur countries, near Hudson's 

 Bay, as far as the 68th degree of latitude. In autumn and winter 

 they are seen common in nearly all parts of the Union, many 

 wintering in North and South Carolina in the open rivers and 

 bays, sometimes considerably inland. Indeed I have never seen them 

 any where so numerous as in the Neuse river, round Newbern, forty 

 miles from the ocean, where in company with the Canvas Back and 

 Buflfel-Head, they are seen constantly in February and March. They 

 are also numerous in Chesapeake Bay; and in the coarse of the 

 winter extend their migrations as far as St. Domingo and other of 

 the West India islands, as well as into Cayenne in the tropical parts 

 of the continent. They are also observed in the interior of the 

 United States, as on the Missouri, and probably other inland parts, 

 where in the month of April, as well as on the sea coast, they are 

 seen on their way to their northern breeding places to which they 

 repair in May, on the thawing of the ice, and are then commonly 

 associated by pairs. According to Hutchins their eggs are from six 

 to eight; and they frequent the swamps, and feed much on insects. 



The Widgeon, or Bald-Pate, is a frequent attendant on the Canvas- 

 Back, and often profits by this association. The former, not being 

 commonly in the habit of diving for subsistence, or merely from 

 caprice, watches the motions of its industrious neighbor, and as soon 

 as the Canvas-Back rises with the favorite root on which they both 

 greedily feed, the Bald-Pate snatches the morsel and makes off with 

 his booty. They are always very alert and lively, feeding and swim 

 ming out into the ponds and rivers at all hours of the day, but are 

 extremely watchful, sheltering in coves and behind the land, and on 

 the slightest attempt to steal upon them, immediately row out into 

 the stream beyond gun-shot, and then only take to wing when much 

 disturbed. 



THE SUMMER, OR WOOD DUCK. 



This most beautiful of Ducks seems to be dressed in a studied attiie, 



to which the addition of a flowing crest 

 adds a finish of peculiar elegance ; and 

 hence Linnaeus has dignified the species 

 with the title of sponsa or the bride 

 This splendid bird, according to Nut- 

 tall, is peculiar to America but extends 

 its residence from, the cold regions of 

 Hudson's Bay in the 54th parallel to 

 Mexico and the Antilles. Throughout 

 a great part of this vast space, or at 



