98 ANATID^. 



THE WIGEON. 



Anas penelojoe, Linn. 



Frequents the marine loughs, &c., in great numbers for 

 above six months of the year. 



Arrival and Departure. — Its first appearance in Belfast Bay, after 

 the breeding season, is generally in the month of August. In 

 several consecutive 3'ears it was thus observed : — August 21, 1840, 

 four arrived — September 9, 1841, about thirty — August 29, 1842, 

 wigeon and teal killed in company — August 23, 1843, an adult 

 male, and on the 25th, three others obtained — August 30, 1844, a 

 few seen — August 27, 1845, wigeon re-appeared, as well as brent 

 geese — August 27, 1847, two wigeon shot; teal and wild ducks 

 have been here for some time : — on the 11th of September, 1847, 

 such large flocks of wigeon and teal were seen as to induce two 

 wild-fowl shooters to give up their summer avocation (at which they 

 earn from 10s. to 12s. per week) and commence the winter cam- 

 paign ; — August 23, 1848, a couple of wigeon killed. They 

 gradually increase in numbers from the period of arrival. On the 

 1st September, 1839, a fowler observed a flock of about twenty; 

 on the 10th, he, with the aid of a telescope, reckoned seventy-five 

 in a flock ; and, a day or two afterwards, saw not less than a hun- 

 dred together ; — from this time to the end of the month great 

 numbers arrived. The adult males are rarely seen or shot before 

 November. The oldest shooter in the bay considers that wigeon 

 are the first of the migratory wild-fowl (not including ducks and 

 teal) to appear here after the breeding season, and the earhest to 

 depart in spring ; and that, by the end of March, they are nearly 

 aU gone. Other fowlers agree that they are the first to leave in 

 spring ; and, though some remain considerably later than the end 

 of February, that the great mass then take their departure. On 

 the 16th of April, 1837, one was killed on Lough Neagh"^ ; to 



* Late in the season chiefly — in March, &c. — I have seen wigeon broxiglit from 

 this locality. On the 31st INIarch, 1843, I saw large flocks on the lake in the 

 demesne of Lurgan House (county of Armagh) ; where the old males, admitting of a 

 near approach, looked very beautiful. 



