438 WIGEON. 
passage it visits the rest of Europe, going as far west as the Azores ; 
and in Africa it is found down to Abyssinia. In Asia its range 
extends from about 71° N. to Mongolia in summer, and in winter 
over the rest of that continent and its islands down to Borneo ; 
a specimen has even been obtained in the Marshall group, Poly- 
nesia. From Siberia we trace this species across Bering Sea, by 
way of the Aleutian Islands, to Alaska ; and it is not infrequent on 
the coast of California, while in the east portion of the United 
States it occurs almost every winter, especially between Virginia 
and the Carolinas. 
The nest, placed in a tuft of rushes, coarse herbage or heather, is 
warmly lined with down, and may contain from 7-10 cream- 
coloured eggs: measurements 2°3 by r'5 in. On their arrival the 
birds, when undisturbed, feed by day on aquatic plants and grass, 
but after November they become nocturnal, and subsist largely 
upon Zostera marina. The call-note of the male is a shrill whistling 
whéé-yoit, whence the local names “‘ Whew Duck” and “ Whewer ” ; 
but the female utters a low purr or croak; while both sexes 
rise in silence. Although it is a surface-feeder and does not dive 
for food, the Wigeon can submerge itself easily and turn rapidly 
under water when wounded and pursued. No other species offers 
such attractions to the punt-gunner; and it is taken in large 
numbers in those of our decoys which, as in Essex and in Pem- 
brokeshire, are situated near the sea, though flocks sometimes 
resort to waters as much as 30 miles inland. In confinement it 
breeds occasionally, though not very freely ; and it has been known 
to cross with the Pintail, Mallard, Gadwall and Teal. 
The adult male has the forehead and crown buff; cheeks and 
hind-neck chestnut, minutely spotted with bottle-green ; chin black ; 
throat and upper neck chestnut; breast white passing into grey on 
the under parts, the flanks being pencilled with dark grey ; mantle 
chiefly of a finely vermiculated grey ; shoulder white with a terminal 
bar of black, followed by a green wing-patch tipped with black below ; 
quills and tail dark brown; bill bluish-lead colour ; legs and toes 
dark brown. Early in July a plumage like that of the female is 
assumed, but the tints of the drake are always the brighter. Length 
18°5 in.; wing 1o’5 in. The female is smaller ; the upper parts 
are mottled with greyish-brown, and the shoulders nearly white ; 
the wing-patch is greyish-green, and the under parts are buffish- 
white. As usual, the young bird resembles the female ; the latter 
occasionally assumes nearly full male plumage. 
