AMERICAN WIDGEON, OR BALD-PATE. 813 



coasts of Great Britain, and the numbers slaughtered in the course 

 of a season by the sportsmen and fowlers are enormous. They are 

 much esteemed in London, and eagerly sought after by the poul- 

 terers as a ready article of sale. They are pursued by the English 

 punters almost entirely by night ; they lie in wait for them in those 

 situations which they are most likely to visit or pass over in their 

 course to the feeding-grounds. The best weather for this sport is 

 a clear, windy, half moonlight night, provided the wind does not 

 blow from you, as the ducks may smell you : in fact, it is always 

 necessary to get to the leeward of wild fowl of all kinds, as their 

 power of scenting is very great. The English variety is easily 

 " domesticated in places where there is plenty of water, and are 

 much admired for their beauty, sprightly look, and frolicsome 

 manners." The same is said of the American widgeon. 



Bald-pates can be decoyed within gunshot by imitating their 

 peculiar shrill note ; are not apt to dart at decoys oflF points, ex- 

 cept in foggy weather. They are migratory, and breed in the 

 North, on the coast of Hudson's Bay; they visit the ricefields of 

 the South during the winter in considerable numbers, and are much 

 esteemed by the planters as an article of food. 



For further information on the subject of widgeon, we beg to 

 refer the reader to Colonel Hawker, the Magnus Apollo of wild- 

 fowl shooting, as he has very justly been styled. 



