WIDGEON 
183 
character of the season and on the latitude. It cannot be classed as a particularly 
early breeder for it lays later than the Mallard, Pintail or Teal. In Iceland it begins 
to breed in early June; in northern Europe the dates are mostly for late May and 
June, in northern Finland frequently in the latter half of June. On the Petchora 
River eggs were taken as early as June 5 and on the Jenesei twelve days later 
(Naumann, 1896-1905; Montell, 1917; Seebohm, 1885; Hantzsch, 1905; etc.). 
The nest is always located in a fresh-water region but may be some distance from 
the water. Rough or wooded situations are often chosen, and the nest itself is not 
different from that of other shoal-water ducks. Any materials close at hand may be 
used in its construction. 
The ordinary clutch numbers from seven to ten, with a maximum of twelve and 
an average of about nine. Nests with less than seven eggs are not uncommonly 
found, and are probably the work of younger birds. The eggs measure from 50- 
59.9 by 33.2-40.7 mm., averaging about 55 by 38 mm. In color they are huffish 
white or cream, without ever having the slightest trace of green. They are very like 
the eggs of the White-eyed Pochard and Gadwall, but may be distinguished from 
these by their more creamy color (Seebohm, 1896). The nest down is dark but not 
characteristic; the feathers that are found among it, however, are unmistakable, 
being white, sometimes with gray centers that spread to the tip (H. Noble, 1908). 
The nest feathers of other species are sometimes used by ducks, so that care must be 
taken in making a diagnosis. 
The incubation period is probably twenty-four days (Job, 1915) though it has 
been placed as low as twenty -two or twenty -three days by Heinroth (1908) and as 
high as twenty-five days by various other writers. It is certainly three days less 
than that of the Mallard, which perhaps indicates an affinity with the Teal. During 
incubation the male behaves in the same way as does the Mallard, visiting the 
female less and less until toward the middle of the period he disappears completely. 
Hantzsch (1905) claims to have seen the male occasionally visit the female after the 
young have been hatched. Nothing is recorded about the very interesting question 
whether the female returns to her own brood after she has completed her moult. 
Immediately after deserting the females, the males fiock together and evidently 
make excursions of some length, for in the month of July flocks composed entirely of 
males are mentioned by writers. 
Status. The Widgeon has always been one of the commonest and most eagerly 
sought of European ducks, and its original status is difficult to determine because 
enormous numbers were taken in decoys even before the end of the 17th century. 
We do not know whether the great drives of moulting ducks in the Lincolnshire fens 
produced many Widgeons or not. In the old decoys of Essex enormous takes were 
made in former days and some interesting figures of the Canney Marsh Decoy are 
