which the Goose is known to -leed. Hence, though many
flocks of Wigeons accompany the other water-fowl in their
nocturnal wanderings, still numbers- of them pass thevwhole
of the night here ; and this I know to be a fact, >b’y their
singular whistling noises which is heard at all hours.”
In March and April the Wigeon .again moves northward
for the breeding season, and i f i§ only within the last few
years that a small number have been ascertained to remain in
the most northern part of Scotland, to’breed about the lakes
of Sutherlandshire’.- Colonel Hawker says that Wigeon
either choose their mates, or detach ’themselves into small
trips preparative to so doing, by about Valentine’s * day.”
Mr. Selby, in—his paper on the Birds inhabiting the county
of Sutherl&nd, Isays^ “ as -the Wigeon had not previously
been detected 'breeding in Britain,. we were much- pleasedrfo
observe several pairs upon the smaller lochs'near^Lairg, which
we concluded had their nests among - the- reeds and "other
herbage which grew in their vicinMyfb We wère^Taotuso^fortunate,
however, as to find one here'* though diligent search
was made; but afterwards, -uponone of the islands'of Loeh
Laighal, we sprung a female, which was Jhjat front hg£g;. nest;
containing, seven eggs. I t was placed in f he heart.* of a darge
rush bush, and was made of decayed rushes and reeds, with a
lining of warm down from the bird’s body. Thé eggs were
smaller than those of the Wild Duck, and of. a rich cream-
white cölour.” if The length two inches and one eighth, by
one inch and a half in breadth. Sir. W . Jardine,’ who was
one of the exploring party with Mr. Selby in Sutherlandshire,
in June 1834, mentions that “ Wigeon were seen upon Loch
Shin, Loch Naver, Loch Loyal, and Loch Hope. They
were by no means abundant; and it is probable that the birds
in this district were at the most southern limit of their breeding
stations, and bore no proportion whatever to the immense
flocks which frequent our coasts in winter.” • The note of the
Wigeon is a shrill whistle, and in some parts of England it
is in consequence called the Whew D u ck : its name in
France, -Canard sifflcur, has reference to the same circumstance;
In some.hooks on cookery,.and in bills of fare,
Wigeons are called Easterlings ; and all over Lapland they
are called Grass Ducks. The note of Richard Dann, Esq. in
reference tc the Wigeon in Scandinavia, is as follows:
i This is the most abundant of all the Duck tribe in Lap-
land, frequenting the grassy swamps, lakes, and rivers. They
appear With the first breaking up. of the ice, in pairs, and as
soon'’as the female begins* today, the male loses his beautiful
plumage, and* Sècietès himself in willow swamps* and in the
mosk inaccessible morasses; nor does he recover his former
appearance until November or December.' Thé females lay
from fiveVtö eight eggs. • They also breed*in the Dofre Fiell,
as high as the* birch grows, and in many other parts of Norway
rand Sweden, but only in'Straggling pairs. They migrate
south early in September, appearing in great flocks on the
coast of Norway and Sweden.' *The young keep among the
rushes and reeds in the lakes.; the old birds betaking therm
selves to the shallows On the c o a s tb u t they, unlike the
Mallard, entirely leave Sweden in the winterly!
Mr. Proctor sent me word that a few breed in Iceland,
forming their- nfest generally among low bushes near the edge
of the fresh waters.
The female Wigeon has not been known to: breed in confinement
that I am aware of, but the male has bred with a
Pintailed Duck, and in another instance with a dun-coloured
variety of the Common Duck. A preserved specimen given
me by Richard Dann, Esq. has all the appearance of being
a hybrid between the Wigeon and Common Duck. A few
pairs breed in Holland,. according to; M. Temminck ;. and
these birds are abundant in France and Germany throughout
the winter. They are found in Spain, and are observed at
o VOL. II I .