AMERICAN WIGEON.
Anas Americana, WILSON. AUDUBON.
Mareea Americana, STEPHENS.
Anas—A Duck. Americana—American.
T H I S Duck is abundant in various parts of North America, from
the River Saskatchewan, Columbia, and the shores of Hudson's
Bay, through the United States to Florida, Carolina, .Mexico, Cuba,
Martinique, and St. Domingo.
A pair of these birds were on sale in the London market in the
winter of 1837-8, as recorded in the ' Naturalist' magazine, volume in.,
page 417.
In the autumn they depart in flocks from their summer quarters.
They are described as being of a lively and frolicsome disposition,
and are considered excellent eating.
They are said sometimes to perch on trees.
Their food is composed of flies, worms, leeches, small fry, beechnuts,
and grain of various kinds; and they do much damage in the
rice plantations. They come out to feed in the evenings.
The note is a soft whistle, enunciated by the sound 'whew,' and it
is frequently imitated successfully to their destruction.
The eggs are from six to eight in number.
Male; length, one foot eleven inches; bill, blui.sh grey, bordered
and tipped with black; iris, hazel—behind the eye a broad dark green
streak passes backwards. Forehead and crown, dull white; on the
sides and back pale brownish white, freckled with black; the feathers
at the hack of the head a little elongated: a white baud runs from
the forehead to the nape. Neck in front, reddish brown. Breast
above, white, on the sides brownish red, glossed with grey; on the
sides it is barred with dark lines, below white. Back on the upper
pari, reddish brown, glossed with grey, each teat her marked across