ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 
109 
young, but the unsocial habits of our Calcutta visitor 
incline us to credit it with confirmed bachelorhood. 
When the instinct of migration comes upon this bird, 
it suddenly leaves our Zoo, generally departing 
early in February, and long, tedious and danger¬ 
ous must be its flight towards the north. Colonel 
Prejevalsky, who visited Lob-nor, tells us that he observed 
the first widgeons arrive on the 6th of February, and that 
“ all the flocks without exception came from W. S. W., 
occasionally from S. W. and W. Not a bird flew direct 
from the south over the Altyn-tagh mountains, this prov¬ 
ing that migratory birds, at all events water-fowl, will not 
venture to cross the lofty and cold Tibetan highlands in 
their passage from the trans-Himalayan countries, but 
pass over this difficult country at its narrowest point. In 
all probability, the feathered kind follow the Indian valleys 
to the neighbourhood of Khoten, and then take the direc¬ 
tion of the Tarim and Lob-nor across the warmer and 
less elevated districts. This explains the reason of their 
following a W. S. W., and not a S. course to Lob-nor. 
And we were told by the inhabitants that in autumn 
they depart in the same direction.” The journey of our 
Widgeon must thus extend over thousands of miles, 
but how long it takes to accomplish this wonderful flight 
we have no means of knowing accurately, though it 
probably is not prolonged over many days* It is the 
habit of widgeons to fly in flocks, although not very 
numerous, and few are known to come as far south 
as Calcutta ; but whether or not our friend joins itself 
in its perilous flight to> a flock of companions, it always 
arrives and departs alone.” 
The animals now occupying this enclosure arc Malayan 
