CAIRINA.—#X, 199 
fourteen eggs are deposited, is made in a hole or fork of a large tree at some height from 
the ground. ‘The species usually seeks its food in the rivers, but on moonlight nights 
individuals may be seen in the maize-fields or amongst the mandioca-plots, of which 
they devour the roots. Though shy and by no means easy of approach, two or three 
birds may often be obtained between sundown and dark, by hiding amongst the trees 
and shooting them as they fly round overhead. All the domestic varieties of Ducks 
in Central America seem to have derived their origin from this species 3. 
fEX. 
Aiz, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 329. 
“4x, Wharton, B. O. U. List Brit. Birds, p. 123 (1883) ; Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 72 
(1895). 
The Summer-Duck of North America and the Mandarin Duck of China constitute 
the sole members of the genus x. In placing it here we follow Count Salvadori’s 
arrangement—in this instance not without some hesitation, as we fail to see any 
relationship to Catrina. 
The extraordinary ornamental plumage of the wing, so unlike that of any other 
Duck, suggests that the genus 4x may be placed as the representative of a distinct 
subfamily. ‘he two species of the genus are distinguished by the peculiar colouring 
of the primaries, which have the terminal portion of the outer webs silvery-grey, of 
the inner webs metallic green, this system of coloration being common to both sexes. 
The lower portion of the tarsus is covered in front with a row of transverse scutel le, 
and the axillaries and under wing-coverts are never black. 
“\, Hx sponsa. 
Anas sponsa, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 2077. 
Aix sponsa, Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 315°; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1876, p. 397°; Baird, 
Brewer, & Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. ii. p.11*; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 187°, 829°; 
A. O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p.527; Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 73°. 
Capite saturate nitenti-viridi, genis purpurascentibus ; crista pendente occipitali nitenti-viridi, postice purpurea, 
supra et infra lineis duabus albis marginata:; collo laterali summo plaga lata seneo-nigra ornato; gutture 
et prepectore summo, cum genis et colli lateribus albis ; noteeo reliquo et cauda saturate wneo-viridibus ; 
primariis brunnescenti-nigris, pogonio externo apicem versus cano, pogonio interno eodem modo metallice 
viridi ; secundariis, scapularibus et tectricibus alarum majoribus nigris vel cyanescentibus vel purpu- 
rascenti-viridi variis, secundariis albo marginatis; prepectore et pectore superiore purpurascenti-castaneis, 
hujus plumis singulis macula triquetra alba terminatis; pectore laterali fascia alba nigraque ornato ; 
pectore imo et abdomine albis; corporis lateribus et hypochondriis arenaceo-brunneis minute nigro 
fasciatis, plumis longioribas fasciis albis et nigris terminatis ; hypochondriis imis purpurascenti-castaneis : 
subcaudalibus brunneis; axillaribus ct subalaribus albis, nigro fasciatis: rostro variegato, culminis plaga 
longitudinali et ungue nigris; area oblonga a naribus usque ad unguem lactescenti-alba, basin versus 
purpurascenti-rubro; pedibus sordide flavis, palmis fuscescentibus; iride aurantiaco-rubra; palpebris 
miniatis. Long. tota circa 19-0, ale 9-0-9°5, caudw 5:0, culm. 14, tarsi 1-4. (Descr. maris adulti ex 
Quantico, Virginia. Mus. nostr.) 
