THE WIGEON. 201 
Iceland, Northern Europe, and Siberia, rarely if ever, I take it, 
within the Arctic Circle or much south of the 55th degree 
North Latitude. Dresser says :—‘“The eggs are deposited late 
in May or early in June, the locality selected for the purpose of 
nidification being sometimes close to the water’s edge, and at 
others some distance from it ; for Mr. Collett informs me that 
heyiound: a nest .on the fells; not far -from the town of 
Lillehammer, which was under a juniper bush, at least 800 
yards from the water. The nest isa mere depression or hole 
scratched in the ground and well lined with down and a few 
feathers, intermixed with a little moss or a few grass bents. 
A nest, which I possess, consists of a little moss matted together 
.with down, the latter being of a dark sooty brown colour, the 
centre of the down being rather lighter or dark sooty grey ; 
and a few feathers of the bird are interspersed here and there. 
The eggs are creamy white in colour and oval in shape, taper- 
ing slightly towards the smaller end.” 
Mr. Wolley says that “no other duck is so common as this 
in Lapland. Wherever there is a still bay or recess in the 
river, with water-plants and willows, there is sure to bea pair 
or two of Wigeon; and near the bank they make their nests. 
In the lakes, too, they are frequently to be found. They are 
tamer than any of the other ducks, and often let a boat pass 
quite near, whilst they are constantly swimming about just 
before houses. The down of the nest is somewhat like that 
of the Pin-tail, but looser ; the same white centres, softened by 
the transparent grey outside each little tuft; yet the filaments 
are longer, and their white bars larger and more distinct. A 
nest is an extremely pretty sight, even when separated from its 
native bank, and all the accompaniments of flowers, roots, 
moss, and lichen. The eggs seem to be usually from six to ten 
in number. When fresh, they are mostly of a rich cream colour ; 
but some are even then quite white.” 
The eggs are smooth, have a faint gloss, and are rather 
elongated ovals, measuring from 2°1 to 2°3 in length, by 1°5 to 
1'6in breadth. — 
THERE Is very little difference in the sizes of the sexes, and 
though the males average larger, I got one female last year 
considerably heavier than any male I ever met with. 
Males (adults)—Length, 19'0 to 19°5 ; expanse, 32°75 to 34°5 ; 
wing, 10°0 to 10°6 ; tail from vent, 4:0 to 46; tarsus, 1°4 to 1°6; 
bill from gape, 1°7 to 1°82; weight, 1 lb. 5 ozs. to 1 lb. 10 ozs. 
of Scotland. The little island, which was rather flat, was overgrown with heather 
from a foot to eighteen inches high, and at one end of the island was a clump of 
rather low birch trees on which a number of common Herons had their nests. In 
walking through the heather one of the boatman who accompanied me put up a 
Wigeon close by, which almost flew in my face. The nest was at once found among 
the heather, and was the usual mossy one at the roots of the heather, and lined with 
the down of the bird. The eggs were quite fresh, and of a fine creamy white,” 
BI 
