OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 359 



from time to time been found as an abnormal migrant on the Pacific coast from 

 Alaska to California. It passes through Central Europe on migration, and 

 winters on the coasts of Holland, Belgium, Prance and Spain, and throughout 

 the basin of the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas, ranging as far south as 

 Abyssinia in the east and Madeira and the Canaries in the west of the African 

 Continent. The Asiatic birds pass through Turkestan and Mongolia on migration, 

 and winter in India, Burmah, Borneo, China, and Japan. 



Allied forms. — Mareca americana, the New World representative of the 

 Wigeon, a " British " species, and dealt with fully in the following chapter. 



Habits. — The autumn migration of the Wigeon commences in the British 

 Islands towards the end of September, and birds continue to arrive upon our 

 coasts through October and the first half of November. The return migration 

 begins in March, and lasts until the end of April. The Wigeon arrives at its Arctic 

 haunts just as the ice is breaking up and winter is making way for summer. In the 

 valley of the Petchora Seebohm remarked that this Duck arrived simultaneously 

 with the break-up of the ice, on the 19th of May, but further east in the valley of 

 the Yenisei it was much later, not appearing until the 6th of June, at which date the 

 general summer thaw had commenced. Hume states that the Wigeon seldom 

 arrives in India before the end of October, and leaves again in March and April. 

 Whilst on migration, and in its winter quarters, the Wigeon is a very gregarious 

 bird, and even in the breeding season is remarkably social, and consorts with various 

 other Ducks that frequent the same districts for nesting purposes. Whilst in the 

 British Islands the Wigeon is principally a coast bird, frequenting bays, lochs 

 and estuaries, and occasionally visiting large sheets of fresh water in the vicinity 

 of the sea. In India, however, this Duck is found on inland waters, but even 

 here is most abundant on the coast, choosing by preference estuaries and creeks 

 where the water is brackish. It is also very erratic in its choice of a haunt, 

 being absent from some districts and present in others during different years. 

 The flight of the Wigeon is swift and powerful, but not very loud, and often the 

 bird will glide down from a considerable height to the water on arched and 

 motionless wings, beating them rapidly just as it drops on the surface, as if to 

 break the force of the contact. It also swims well, and is very adept at diving 

 when pursued if wounded. This species is also seen a great deal on land, walking 

 about the turfy banks of the water. They are rather shy and wary birds, evidently 

 gifted with great powers of scent and hearing, and approached the most success- 

 fully up wind. The note of the Wigeon is very characteristic, and not easily 

 confused with that of any other British Duck. I describe it as a wild and loud 

 niee-ow or uee-ow ; others writers as mee-yoo or whee-you. My experience is 

 certainly different from that of Naumann, who states that this species utters a 

 cry like that of the Shoveller as it rises. A note sounding like Jcr-r is said also 



