NYROOA. 221 
The nest is made of grass, rather roughly constructed, and always built in the 
neighbourhood of water. The eggs are nine or ten in number, greyish-white, tinged 
with cream-colour 5. 
2. Nyroca vallisneria. 
Anas valisineria, Wils. Am. Orn. vill. p. 108, t. 70. fig. 5°. 
Aithyia valisneria, Salvad. Ibis, 1866, p. 198°. 
Aytha vallisneria, Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 315°. 
Aythya walisneria, Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 187 *, 329°. 
Aythya vallisneria, A. O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 53°. 
Fuligula valisneria, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1876, p. 4007. 
Aithyia vallisneria, Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. ii. p. 30°. 
Nyroca vallisneria, Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 342°. 
Supra canescenti-alba, minute nigro penicillata, uropygio et supracaudalibus nigris; tectricibus primariorum 
et primariis saturate grisescenti-brunneis, albo vermiculatis et apicem versus saturatioribus; secundariis 
griseis, pogonio externo dimidiatim albo, fusco crebre vermiculato; secundariis intimis extus nigro 
marginatis ; rectricibus nigricantibus ; fronte, genis anticis et gutture brunneis ; mento summo albo ; 
capite reliquo et collo castaneis; collo imo et gastreo reliquo nigris, minute nigro plus minusve celatim 
penicillatis ; subcaudalibus nigris; subalaribus et axillaribus albis, iis marginalibus fusco vermiculatis : 
rostro virescenti-nigro; pedibus cwrulescenti-griseis; iride coccinea. Long. tota circa 21°9, ale 9-3, 
caude 29, culm. 2-6, tarsi 1-6. (Descr. maris adulti ex Brownsville, Texas. Mus. nostr.) 
@. Supra fuscescenti-brunnea, vix cano vermiculatim variegata; scapularibus dorso concoloribus ; alis sicut in 
mari coloratis, sed brunnescentioribus, secundariis extus griseis, rhachidibus nigris; dorso postico, uropygio 
et supracaudalibus nigricantibus, vix albido vermiculatis ; capite colloque undique cum prepectore toto 
rufescenti-brunneis, pileo saturatiore brunneo, regione oculari et gutture albidioribus; corpore reliquo 
subtus grisescenti-albo, hypochondriis paululum brunneo marmoratis et cano vix vermiculatis: rostro 
virescenti-nigro; pedibus plumbeis; iride brunnescenti-rubra. Long. tota 19-0, ale 8-7, caude 2:2, 
culm. 2°15, tarsi 1:55. (Descr. femine adulte ex Brownsville, Texas. Mus, nostr.) 
Hab. Nortu America, breeding from the North-western States, northward to Alaska ®), 
—Mexico, Mazatlan (Grayson®), Valley of Mexico (Herrera*®); GuarTEMa.a, 
Duenias ?® (O. &.).— West Inpizs 9. 
The Canvas-back Duck inhabits the greater part of North America, breeding from 
Oregon and the North-western States throughout British America and Alaska to the 
Arctic Regions. In winter it is found on both sides of the United States and on the 
waters of the interior, and at this season the bird visits Central America. Grayson 
found the species not uncommonly at Mazatlan 3, and we obtained a single specimen 
on the Lake of Duefias?, this being probably the southern limit of its range. 
Great numbers of J. vallisneria are killed for food in the United States, the flesh 
being highly esteemed. It is principally from the large flocks which occur on the 
coasts in winter that the supply is obtained for the market. In habits this Duck 
resembles the foregoing species. 
