AMERICAN WIDGEON. 
Ill 
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 excel- 
lent. They are of a lively frolicsome 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-co- 
lour; 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 before, 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 scapulars, 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, brownish ash ; the two middle fea- 
thers 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 re- 
ceive their full plumage until the second year. They are also 
subject to a regular change every spring and autumn. 
* Hutchins. 
