The nest is usually placed in a dry and often open situation, where there is but little cover. The eggs resemble those of the Teal, but are rather greener in tint.
The crown and nape of the male are dark brown, with a conspicuous white stripe passing backwards over the eye. Cheeks and neck brown ticked with white. Back dark brown; wing coverts bluish grey. Chin black; breast pale brown, with dark crescentic bars; remainder of under parts white. Vermiculated on the flanks. Speculum green; bill black; legs greenish. Female somewhat similar to Duck of the common Teal, but may be distinguished by the presence of a light stripe over the eye. The feathers of the back are dark with light margins, not barred as in the Teal, while the feathers of the breast are also entirely dark with white margins. Length 16 in.; wing 7·8 in.
THE WIGEON
Mareca penelope (Linnæus)
The Wigeon is one of our commonest winter visitors, arriving in large numbers from early in September onwards, and frequenting estuaries, bays, and tidal waters, but rarely wandering far inland. Although feeding also on marine insects and crustacea, it is chiefly a vegetable eater, living almost entirely upon Zostera marina.
In Scotland a good many pairs remain to breed, and during the summer it frequents high moorlands and inland waters. The nest is placed in a tuft of rushes or among heather, and the eggs, usually ten in number, are of a delicate creamy white. The note is a melodious whistle, which may be expressed as “whee you.”
The male has the head and neck chestnut, with a broad buff stripe extending backwards over the crown; back grey uniformly vermiculated; throat and upper neck chestnut; breast white, vermiculated on the flanks; shoulders white; speculum green. In the eclipse plumage the head is dark chestnut, grizzled with brown; back brown, with chestnut edgings to the feathers; flanks chestnut; under parts white. The female is dark brownish grey above, lighter on the wing coverts, and white underneath. Length 18·5 in.; wing 10·5 in.
THE AMERICAN WIGEON
Mareca americana (J. F. Gmelin)
One or two examples of this species have occurred in this country at long intervals. It may be distinguished from our Wigeon by the forehead and crown being dull white, the cheeks and neck whitish, speckled with brown, and a green stripe passing backwards from the eye. The female has the head and neck yellowish white, speckled with black. Length 19 in.; wing 10·25 in.
THE RED-CRESTED POCHARD
Netta rufina (Pallas)
The Red-crested Pochard, whose nesting home is in South-Eastern Europe, though it also nests sparingly in the Rhone delta and Spain, is only a rare straggler to these islands, and most of the examples have been obtained in Norfolk, where as recently as last year, 1906, a flock of eight appeared, and needless to say were soon all shot.