Jardine, who accompanied Mr. Selby, mentions that “ Widgeons were seen upon Loch Shin, Loch Naver,
Loch Loyal, and Loch Hope. They were by no means abundant; and it is possible that the birds in this
district were at the most southern limit o f their breeding-stations, and bore no proportion whatever to the
immense flocks which frequent our coasts in winter.” A mote recent writer, St. John, in his ‘ Natural
History and Sport in Moray,’ says:— “ In Sutherland I have found the nest, and in Loch Naverjmd elsewhere
the Widgeon breeds regularly, though not in any great numbers. I have shot Widgeorr in this
country on the 9th o f September. There was a small flock o f eight or niue; and the two which I shot were
evidently young, and must have been bred in the neighbourhood. The migrating Widgeon begin to arrive
early in October or at the end o f September; by the beginning o f November there are immense numbers,
and their shrill whistle enlivens all the larger lochs and swamps. Towards night every Widgeon seems to
be in motion, flying to their feeding-places, either in the shallows or along the edges of the water, where
they can wet at the grass and water-plants which form their food. Their flight is very rapid, and divided
into small companies; they flit to and fro in every direction until they settle down to feed. During the
daytime they all collect and rest in the centre o f the lochs. The Widgeon, like the Teal, is late in acquiring
its full plumage; and in the flocks but a small proportion o f Drakes, in full beauty, are seen. It is also late
in coming into full season for the table, and is in best condition from February to April. Like other wild
fowl, when driven to feed on the sea-shore, it soon loses its eatable quality. The Widgeon is the most
perfectly proportioned of any water-fowl, and the plumage o f the male is peculiarly bright and beautiful.
Both 011 land and in the water it is very active; when on shore it walks upright and rapidly, and on the
water is unrivalled in sw'imming. The nest is similar to that o f other water-birds, the eggs being well
protected by the down of the female. The young, when hatched, have rather a brown- than a green-coloured
covering, in this also differing from the common duck, teal, &c.”
Mr. Dann informed Mr. Yarrell that the Widgeon “ is the most abundant of all the Duck tribe in Lapland,
frequenting the grassy swamps, lakes, and rivers. They appear with the first breaking-up o f the ice, in pairs;
and as soon as the females begin to lay, the male loses his beautiful plumage, and secretes himself in willow-
swamps and in the most inaccessible morasses; nor does he recover his former appearance until November
or December. The females lay from five to eight eggs. They also breed on the Dovre fjeld, as high as
the birch grows, and in many other parts o f Norway and Sweden, but only in straggling pairs. They
migrate south early in September, appearing in great flocks on the coasts of Norway and Sweden. The
young keep among the rushes and reeds in the lakes, the old birds betaking themselves to the shallows on
the coast. They entirely leave Sweden in the winter.”
The following interesting note respecting this species was communicated to the late Sir John Richardson
by the Rev. Mr. Booth, of Friskney, in Lincolnshire:—“ Skelton tells me that the Widgeon does not
willingly dive: o f course, if driven to it, it can; but it does not dive for its food; and though in play it
sometimes splashes under water, it never remains beneath the surface. The Widgeon is ‘ an amazing fow l
to graze, a strange eater o f grass.’ It is especially fond o f ‘ flutter-grass’ ( Glycerin aquatica vel fm ta n sT ),
which it crops on the surface; but it likewise eats many other herbs. When the decoy has been so full of
Widgeons that they have devoured every blade on the landings, Skelton has taken advantage of their absence
in the night, when they resort to the salt marshes on the sea-coast, and laid down sods pared from the fields,
on which they readily graze. In common with the Mallard, Teal, and Pintail, they are very fond o f Willow-
weed seeds (Epilobiurri), with which he feeds all the fowl in the decoy, as they prefer it to oats and every
other kind of grain.”—Faun. Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 436, note.
Dr. Jerdon, speaking of the Widgeon in India, remarks that it “ cannot be said to be either common or
abundant, although it is met with occasionally in every part of the country in small or moderate flocks.”
The Widgeon emits, chiefly during flight, a peculiarly shrill whistling note, which has obtained for it, in
some parts of England, the name of Whew Duck; and its French name o f Canard siffleur has reference to
the same sound.
During the proper season great numbers o f Widgeons are taken in the d ecoys; and we have the authority
of Colonel Hawker that, like the fox in hunting, it affords the finest sport for coast night-shooting, ample
directions for which will be found in that gentleman’s well-known work on sport and sporting.
Mr. Thompson, after stating that the Widgeon frequents the marine loughs &c. o f Ireland in great
numbers for above six months o f the year, gives an interesting account o f the modes o f shooting it, &c., to
which, as it is too lengthy for extract, I must refer my readers (see his ‘ Natural History o f Ireland,’ vol. iii.
p. 10 0 et seq.).
The Plate represents a male and a female, about the natural size.