io8 
GUIDE TO THE 
more every year. The other morning-, the arrival of this 
annual visitor to the Zoo having been duly notified to the 
Honorary Committee of Management, a few of its mem¬ 
bers adjourned to the enclosure to welcome their old 
friend. The bird was found standing on the brick slope 
leading to the tank, and when a keeper was sent in with 
moistened paddy to place near it, the Widgeon showed 
no fear, but merely took quietly to the water, swimming 
off a little way as the man approached, and returning 
leisurely as he withdrew. However, before it had reached 
the ‘ gamlah,’ some of the deer now inhabiting the enclo¬ 
sure, since the Rhino’s decease, had gone and sniffed at its 
contents, but this in no way scared the bird ; rather their 
presence and acts of investigation seemed to give it con¬ 
fidence, and after one or two cautious glances at the food, 
it inserted its bill and enjoyed the provided repast. 
The peculiarity cf the periodical visits to the Zoo of 
this solitary Widgeon will be best brought out by the 
mention of one or two facts regarding the species, Mareca 
penelope , to which it belongs. The leading charac¬ 
teristics are these, viz-.> that it is not a native of India ; 
that it is a migratory bird ; and that its habits are known 
to be gregarious. In spring, summer and autumn its 
home is probably on the banks of one of the lakes of Cen¬ 
tral Asia, or among the reedy marshes of Lob-nor in 
Eastern Turkestan ; localities from which it only departs 
on the advent of snow, winging its way to more genial and 
sunnier lands in the south, returning again by February 
to its loved swamps in the north, which it generally 
reaches even before winter has given place to spring. 
Eight or nine months of its life are thus spent in these 
northern regions where its fellows pair and rear their 
