222 THE BIRDS OF DEVOX. 



Montagu published the supplement to his ' Ornithological Dictionan-.' 

 About thirty-five years aijo, whenever the Clyst marshes were flooded, in 

 rainy weather, during the winter months, they were visited by large 

 flocks of "Wigeon. But now these marshes are occupied by the Itifle-Butts 

 of the Clyst Valley Kange. Some even now occasionally visit the Exe 

 estuary, the Kingsbridge arm of the sea, and the creeks in the neighbour- 

 hood of Plymouth. Thousands are seen on Slapton and Thurlestoiie Leys 

 in winter. This bird occasionally arrives as early as the beginning of 

 September (one Sept. I'lth, ISol, on the Exe; six on 12th, and fifteen 

 on Sept. 17th, 1853, also on the Exe). Mr. Gatcombe, however, con- 

 sidered Sept. 2'.h-i\ as an early date (Zool. 1873. p. 3785). In severe 

 •winters we have seen large flocks on tlie ooze of the Exe estuary in the 

 daytime, and in the Clyst marshes ; but more generally they only venture 

 inland at night, resting out at sea,, or on the freshwater leys on the 

 coast, during the day. Many are shot during their flight-time at night 

 by the gunners on the Kingsbridge estuary when flying to their feeding- 

 grounds, a waning moon being considered most favourable for the sport 

 (E. A. S. E.). The flocks are mainly com])osed of birds of the year, and 

 females, up to the end of Xovembcr ; but in January and February adult 

 males are most numerous. They take their departure in March. A bird 

 intermediate between the ^Mallard and Wigeon is mentioned by Bellamy 

 (Xat. Hist. S. Devon, p. 217, note). 



The Wigeon arrives on the Xorth Devon coast towards the end of Seji- 

 tcmber, generally making its first a])pearance in small flocks, which probably 

 represent single broods. When the Wigeon are first seen on the estuaries 

 they are usually ])retty tame, and are not difficult to stalk, but as the 

 season advances the flocks collect together and become more wary. One 

 day in the late autumn we saw the sands adjoining the Braunton Burrows 

 on Barnstaple Bay looking quite black from the multitude of Wigeon, but 

 there was no approaching them. In severe weather in the winter these 

 Ducks become very poor, and from feeding on the mud contract a rank 

 flavour ; but after j^etting nothing but these indifferent birds for some 

 time, we have known fresh flocks to arrive suddenly of plump birds, in 

 far brighter plumage, and excellent for the table ; and have considered 

 them to have been Wigeon which had only then been frozen out from 

 some freshwater feeding-grounds. As long as the weather is open these 

 Ducks feed largely upon grass, which they crop close with their beaks, 

 and while tliey continue to do this their fiesh remains sweet : but when 

 they have to depend chiefly upon the worms, and wliatever else they can 

 gather from the oozes on the shore, they rapidly deteriorate in flavour. 

 Although a few "\Mgeon nest in the north of Scotland, the great majority 

 are reared in the northern countries of Europe, migrating south on the 

 approach of autumn. In old days the takes of Wigeon on the large 

 decoys in the eastern counties were enormous, and where decoys are still 

 maintained the Wigeon which are secured greatly outnumber all the 

 other fowl. 



Towards the end of April 187", we received information from the Bev. 

 W. S. Here, then residing at Barnstaple, that a very curious Wigeon had 



