CHAPTER XXI 



THE WIGEON AND POCHARDS 



The Wigeon is a beautiful bird, and at the 

 present time it visits the southern parts of England 

 in great numbers. Colonel Montagu states that at 

 the time he wrote, the Wigeon was taken in the 

 decoys in greater abundance than any other species 

 of duck. In the decoys of Somersetshire and Devon- 

 shire more Wigeon were caught than Duck, Teal, 

 and all other fowl put together. 



One of the most expert fowlers, having a fowling- 

 punt and gun of the day, and being moreover a 

 most observant naturalist, states in one of his works 

 on the subject, that what deer are to the deer-stalker 

 the Wigeon are to the fowler. These birds are 

 grass-feeders, feeding on both meadow and sea-grass 

 by day when the chance offers, and at night when 

 circumstances compel them to do so, being able like 

 other creatures to adapt themselves to their sur- 

 roundings. One sketch of the Wigeon's favourite 

 feeding-flats let me give. 



The tide has gone out, leaving a wide mid-channel 

 of deep water, which at its narrowest part is more than 



a mile in width. On my side lies a mile and a half 



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