308 
AMERICAN WIDGEON. 
entice them within gunshot. They are not known to breed in 
any part of the United States. Are common in the winter 
months along the bays of Egg Harbour and Cape May, and also 
those of the Delaware. They leave these places in April, and 
appear upon the coasts of Hudson’s Bay in May, as soon as the 
thaws come on, chiefly in pairs; lay there only from six to eight 
eggs; and feed on flies and worms in the swamps; depart in 
flocks in autumn.* 
These birds are frequently brought to the market of Balti- 
more, and generally bring a good price, their flesh being ex- 
cellent. They are of a lively frolicksome disposition, and with 
proper attention might easily be domesticated. 
The Widgeon or Bald pate measures twenty-two inches in 
length, and thirty inches in extent, the bill is of a slate colour, 
the nail black; the front and crown cream coloured, sometimes 
nearly white, the feathers inflated; from the eye backwards to 
the middle of the neck behind, extends a band of deep glossy 
green gold and purple; throat, chin, and sides of the neck be- 
fore, as far as the green extends, dull yellowish white, thickly 
speckled with black; breast and hind part of the neck hoary bay, 
running in under the wings, where it is crossed with fine waving 
lines of black, whole belly white; vent black; back and scapu- 
lars black, thickly and beautifully crossed with undulating lines 
of vinous bay; lower part of the back more dusky; tail coverts 
long, pointed, whitish, crossed as the back; tail pointed, brown- 
ish ash, the two middle feathers an inch longer than the rest, 
and tapering; shoulder of the wing brownish ash, wing coverts 
immediately below white, forming a large spot; primaries 
brownish ash, middle secondaries black glossed with green, 
forming the speculum; tertials black edged with white, between 
which and the beauty spot several of the secondaries are white. 
The female has the whole head and neck yellowish white, 
thickly speckled with black, very little rufous on the breast; the 
back is dark brown. The young males, as usual, very much 
like the females during the first season, and do not receive their 
* Hutchins. 
