THE WIDGEON. 215 



The Widgeon feeds entirely by day, and though 

 found during their inland life to subsist on worms 

 and insects of different kinds, their food while on the 

 coast is principally the valisneria^ for the purpose of 

 obtaining which, Wilson tells us, they frequent the 

 company of the Canvas-back duck, and being themselves 

 less able to dive for the much-prized root, live by plun- 

 dering the latter the instant they reappear on the surface 

 of the water with the hard-earned morsel ; much in the 

 same way that the white-headed eagle robs the osprey. 



The general description of the plumage is as follows : 

 the forehead and crown are duE. yellowish white; the 

 neck and sides of the head brownish white, speckled 

 with black. Behind the eye is a streak of green; the 

 breast is brown and the lower parts white, the back 

 being covered with close zigzag lines. The tail is light 

 brown; the wings are white and black, with green 

 speculum ; the legs and feet dark brown. 



In the female the breast is much lighter than in the 

 male, and the back is a dark brown. 



The Wood-duck {Aix sponsa) which is called also the 

 " Summer duck" and " Tree duck" is not only one of the 

 most beautiful of all its family, but is excelled in plumage 

 by few of the feathered race. It obtains its name from 

 its singular and characteristic habit of frequenting and 

 building in forest trees, on the lofty branches of which. 



