500 ANATIDA., 
2. Capite colloque griseis, pileo et crista paullulum viridi-eneo nitentibus; mento et gula albis; not«o 
reliquo seneo-brurtneo, scapularibus et secundariis purpurascente nitentibus, alis aliter sicut in mari colo- 
ratis ; corpore subtus albo, preepectore, pectore summo, corporis lateribus et hypochondriis brunneis, plumis 
arenario medialiter maculatis: rostro saturate plumbeo, ungue et culminis macula longitudinali nigris ; 
pedibus flavescenti-brunneis. Long. tota circa 17-5, ale 8:5, caude 4°5, culm. 1:3, tarsi 1°35. (Descr. 
feminee adult ex New Haven, Connecticut. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Temprrate Norra America, breeding throughout its range ’.—Mexico, Mazatlan 
(Abert 7), Valley of Mexico (Herrera® °).—GrzEaTER ANTILLES, Cuba’, Jamaica ®; 
Bermupa Is. 8. 
The “ Wood ”-Duck, or ‘‘ Summer ”-Duck, is the most beautiful of all the American 
Anatide, and is found over the greater portion of North America, but is reported rare 
north of lat. 50° N. The species is remarkable for the way in which it frequents and 
traverses woods, flying swiftly and with ease amidst the trees, but scarcely ever uttering 
any note or cry. It chooses a cavity in a hollow tree or broken branch in which to 
deposit its eggs, and the same nesting-place is occupied for several years in succession. 
A female Wood-Duck was observed by Wilson to transfer all her brood of thirteen 
ducklings to the ground within the space of ten minutes, carrying them by the wing or 
the back of the neck and afterwards conducting the whole of her little family to the 
water. 
The eggs are sometimes as many as 18 in number‘. 
Subfam. ANSERINA. 
The Geese belong to a subfamily very closely allied to the Plectropterine. They 
have no lobe to the hind toe, the latter being of moderate length ; the tail-feathers are 
rather short, the upper parts not glossy; the wings without any metallic speculum ; 
and the bill is rather thick and high at the base (Salvadori). Representatives of three 
genera of Geese have occurred within our limits. 
CHEN. 
Chen, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 563 ; Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 82 (1895). 
The Snow-Geese representing the genus Chen are are inhabitants of North America, 
and one of them, C. hyperboreus, is also met with in North-eastern Asia. They have 
the lores densely feathered, and are distinguished by the stoutness of the bill, the 
depth of which at the base is equal to more than half the length of the culmen, while 
the serrations on the cutting-edge of the upper mandible are visible from the outside; 
this latter character they share with the true Geese of the genus Anser. The plumage 
of the adults is either white or bluish, with black primaries. 
Three species are known, and perhaps four will be found to be worthy of 
distinction. 
