A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.
- George Montagu
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![■WHITE WAGTAIL. forest-keepers. In the ‘ Annals and Ma- gazine of Natural History ’ it is stated that a third specimen was killed near Bandon, County Cork, in 1843. A doubt has been expressed whether this bird is a mere va- riety of our Song Thrush, a doubt that can extend to British specimens onl3'. The easteini Turdus varius is an inhabitant of Japan, Java and Australia, and has been also obtained occa.sionally in Asia and Eu- rope : it has no claim to a jjlace in the British list.] [White Wagtail.—See Wagtail, White.] White-Whisky-John. — See Shrike, Cine- reous. [■Whitewinged Black Tern. — See Tern, White winged Black.] [Whitewinged Crossbill. — See Crossbill, American ; and European, Whitewinged.] ■Whit Finch.—See Finch, Chaf. Whitwall. 1 See Oriole; and Woodpecker, [Witwall.] I Great Spotted. Wierangle.—See Shrike, Cinereous. Wigeon. — [ Yarrell, iii. 287 ; Hewitson, cxiv. 412.] Anas Penelope, Lin. Syst. p. 202, 27 ; Gmel. Syst. ii. p. 527 ; Rail Syn. p. 146, A. 3 ; Will. p. 288, t. 72 ; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 800, 71; Lath. Syn. Suj}. ii. p. 354 ; Lin. Trails, iv. p. Ill, t. 13, f. 0 (trachea); Bewick, Br. Birds, ii. t. p. 352. Anas ils- tularis, Bris. vi. p. 391, 21, t. 35, f. 2 ; Ib. 8vo, ii. p. 404. Canard siflieur, Buf. ix. p. 109, t. 10, 11. Wigeon, Whewer, Whim, Br. Zool. ii. No. 208 ; lb. fol. 157, Addend, t. Q. 157 ; Arct. Zool. ii. p. 574, K.; Will. Angl. p. 375, t. 72 ; Albin, ii. t. 99 ; Lath. Syn. vi. p. 518, 03 ; Lewin, Br. Birds, vii. t. 251; Walo. Syn. i. t. 71; Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 21.. Provincial: Pandle Whew; Yellow-pole.—This species of Duck weighs about twenty-four ounces; length twenty inches. The bill is narrow, of a bluish lead-colour, tipped with black; irides ha- zel. The top of the head, from the hill and chin, yellowish cream-colour; the rest of the head and upper part of the neck bay, speckled with black; breast vina- ceous; belly white; upper and under tail- coverts black, edged with rufous above and with white beneath; back, scapulars, and sides under the wings black and white in fine undulated lines ; coverts of the wings dusky brown, with pale edges; quills dusky; secondaries green on the outer webs, tipped with black ; those next the body have the margin of the outer webs more or less white; the tiul is cunei- form ; the two middle feathers pointed, and considerably longer than the rest; these are dusky, dashed with cinereous, the rest cinereous, edged with rufous- brown ; legs and feet dusky lead-colour, the latter small. This bird, like all the Duck tribe, is subject to variety, according to age; in some the forehead is almost white, and the feathers on the back and sides mottled with brown; the wing-co- verts mixed with white. The female is brown ; the middle of each feather darkest; fore part of the neck and breast pale brown; wings and belly like the male. This species has a small labyrinth in the lower part of the trachea, peculiar to the male sex. The Wigeon is found in most parts of Europe; breeds in the more northern parts. Visits England in the autumn, when great numbers are caught in our decoys for the table, being esteemed an excellent bird. It also frequents our rivers and salt-water inlets in small flocks. Supplement. — The female of this spe- cies is about seventeen inches in length : the bill is like that of the male, but not quite so blue : irides similar: the head and neck speckled with dusky and ferru- ginous, by reason of each feather being minutely barred: the feathers of the up- per part of the back dusky, with two or three slender bars of ferruginous-brown : scapulars dusky black, with ferruginous mai'gins : breast plain viuaceous-brown ; the speculum of the wing is not green as in the male, but wholly black, except the tips, which are white; two of the tertials are margined with white on the outer web; those next the body with rufous margins; many of the smaller coverts, which are brown, are margined wilh white: the tail consists of fourteen feathers : legs like those of the male.— Vae. 1: The bill as usual; the head a mixture of ferru- ginous and cream-colour, speckled with black; on the crown a I'ew' yellow feathers: the upper part of the neck behind marked like the hinder part of the head, but paler: chin dusky, becoming mottled on the throat with white : tlie fore part of the neck is a mixture of black and i)ale ferruginous, the former predominating: the lower part of the neck and sides of the breast pale vL naceous ; on the former are a few scattered brown leathers, barrc'd with duskj^ in semi-lunar lines, one or two large bars on each feather: the back and scaiuilars are mixed wilh some plain brown feathers, others elegantly marked in small undu- lating lines of alternate black and white: the coverts of the Avings very pole broAvn, inclining to Avhito towards the last series ; the largest covering the secondary quills are white on the outer Avebs, tipped Aviih black and edged Avith Avhite: the speculum](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0407.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
