16 THE GAME BIRDS 
12. BALDPATE. AMERICAN WIDGEON 
Anas americana. 
Predominating color, gray with fine wavy 
lines of darker, belly white, as is also the 
body of the wing, while the tips are brownish- 
gray. Wing patch green. The body of the 
head is buff color, shaded with greenish- 
black and brick-red, and the old drakes have 
a broad distinct patch of green on the sides 
of the head, backwards from the eye; the 
distinguishing feature, however, is the dis- 
tinctly white forehead, which is present to a 
ereater or less extent in all the different ages. 
The females and the young males are darker 
in general tone and the shell markings are 
more distinct, while the white crown is less 
so. ‘There can be no mistake in identifying 
the species however, from the great amount 
of white on the wings and under parts. 
About the same size as No. 11; will aver- 
age smaller. Bill bluish-cray. Feet a trifle 
duller. Eyes brown. A very difficult bird 
to describe, from its great variability in differ- 
ent ages. 
Habitat — North America at large, but 
probably less plentiful in New England than 
in the Southern States and the Mississippi 
Valley. In fact the local gunners hardly 
know the bird. 
They are shoal-water birds, and feed upon 
aquatic plants. ‘They have the curious habit 
of thieving the succulent deep-water plants 
