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SWIMMERS. 
more or less examples are seen along our coast from Nova Scotia 
to Virginia. 
The nest has not been found within our borders, and it is not 
probable that any nests have been built liere. The breeding area 
lies north of the Arctic Circle. 
The Widgeon is one of the most abundant and best-known of 
the Ducks that migrate through the British Islands, where it ap- 
pears in flocks of enormous size, covering like a cloud the mud- 
flats of the sea-shore when the tide is out, or settling upon any 
large sheet of inland water adjacent to the sea ; for these birds 
feed on the buds and seeds of aquatic plants as well as on marine 
insects and mollusks. 
The call of the male Widgeon is a shrill-whistled whee-you, or 
mee-yu, — the first note loud and prolonged. The female utters a 
low, purring note, like kir-r-r. When flushed, both male and female 
rise in silence. 
The Widgeon is not easily shot. It is extremely shy and difficult 
to approach, and its flight is rapid. 
