16 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Description. 



THE WIDGEON 



WEIGHS near a pound and a half; it has 

 a sort of black nail at the end of the upper 

 mandible of the bill, the other part of which is 

 of a lead colour ; the structure of the head and 

 mouth very much resemble the common wild 

 duck, only the head does not seem to be quite 

 so large, in proportion to the body, which also 

 appears of a finer shape, and the wings longer. 

 The crown of the head towards the base of the 

 bill, is of a pale pink colour, inclining to a red- 

 dish white ; the other parts of the head and the 

 neck, are red ; the sides of the body and the up- 

 per part of the breast, are tinctured with a very 

 fair glossy, and beautiful claret colour, with a 

 few small transverse lines of tyack. The feathers 

 on the back iare brown, the edges more pale or 

 ash-coloured ; the scapular feathers, and those 

 under the fore part of the wings, are finally vari- 

 egated with small transverse black and white- 

 lines, beautifully dispersed like waves; the quill- 

 feathers are some of them brown, with white tips, 

 others have their outward webs of a blackish 

 purple ; other parts, especially those beyond the 

 covert feathers, of a lovely fine blue; some of 

 the exterior feathers have their outward webs in- 

 clining to black, with a fine purple gloss upon 

 the borders, of which there are a number of 

 small light coloured spots ; the rest of the wing 



