ANATID.E THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 143 



pinkish of the chest. No. 62,525, from St. Paul's Island, Alaska, 

 is most like the Alexandria specimen. 



A young male (No. 57,119, Europe) has the brown of the 

 head, neck, sides, and flanks, almost chestnut; the wing- as in 

 the adult, and the dorsal region mostly clothed with feathers 

 of the adult dress. 



According to Dr. Brewer ( Water B'u-dx of North Am< /'/'<<', Vol. 

 I., p. 519), "two instances are on record" of the occurrence of 

 the Widgeon in Illinois. Its habits are quite similar to those of 

 the Baldpate. 



Anas americana Gmel. 



BALDPATE. 



Popular synonyms. American Widgeon; Green-headed Widgeon; Bald-head; Bald-face; 

 Bald-crown; White-belly; Poacher (Detroit, Mich.); Wheat Duck (Oregon). 



Anas americana GMEL. S. N. i,pt. ii, 1788, 526. WILS. Ana. Orn. viii, 1814, 86, pi. 69, fig. 1. 

 AUD. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 337, pi. 315; Synop. 1839, 279; B. Am. vi, 1843, 259, pi. 389. A. 

 O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 337. RIDGW. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 96. 



Mar eca americana STEPHENS, Shaw's Gen. Zool. xii, pt. ii, 1824, 135. Sw. & RICH. F. B.-A. 

 ii, 1831, 445. BAIRD, B. N. Am. 1858, 783; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 585. CouES.Key, 

 1872, 286; Check List, 1873, No. 493; 2d ed. 1882, No. 713; Birds N. W. 1874, 561. HENSH. 

 Zool. Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 475. REDGW. Orn. 40th Par. 1877, 622; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, 

 No. 607. B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. i, 1884, 520. 



Mareca penelope, b., BLASIUS, B. Eur. 1862, 21. 



HAB. North America in general, north to Arctic Ocean, south, in winter, to Guatemala 

 and Cuba. Accidental in Europe. Breeds nearly throughout its range. 



SP. CHAR. Adult male In winter: Forehead and middle of crown (longitudinally) 

 white, generally immaculate ; ground-color of head and neck white, sometimes more or less 

 soiled with grayish or brown, and thickly speckled with black; a broad space of metallic 

 blackish green on the side of the occiput, running forward to the eye, and sometimes down 

 the nape, where the two spaces are confluent. Chest plain pinkish vinaceous; sides and 

 flanks the same, delicately waved with black; lower tail-coverts velvety black; rest of lower 

 parts pure white. Back and scapulars grayish white, more or less tinged with the color of 

 the sides, and similarly waved with black. Wing-coverts immaculate pure white, the an- 

 terior portion of the lesser-covert region ashy, and the last row tipped with velvety black; 

 speculum soft metallic green anteriorly, velvety black posteriorly; tertials velvety black, 

 sharply edged with white, the lower one with its lower edge entirely pure white; primaries 

 plain slate-grayish. Rump ashy, minutely waved on the edges of the feathers; upper tail- 

 coverts velvety black, the inner webs mostly grayish : tail hoary grayish. Bill light grayish 

 blue, the end black; iris biown; legs and ;eet light bluish. Length, about 20.00 inches; wing, 

 10.25-10.75; culmen, 1.30-1.50; tarsus, 1.45-1.65; middle toe, 1.65-1.85. Adult. female: Above, 

 dusky grayish brown, with transverse, rather distant, bars of dull white or light ochraceous. 

 Wing-coverts dark dull ashy, broadly tipped and bordered with white ; speculum dull black. 

 Head and neck streaked with blackish upon a dull whitish ground, the former color pre- 

 vailing on the nape and behind the eye. Chest pale grayish vinaceous, the feathers darker 

 beneath the surface; sides and flanks deeper vinaeeous; lower tail-coverts transversely 

 spotted with brown; rest of lower parts pure white. Somewhat smaller than the male 

 (length about 18.00 inches). Young male: Similar to the adult female, but the colors more 

 pronounced and the pattern better defined, especially on the wing. Downy young: Above, 



