ANATID.E THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 153 



GEN. CHAR. Bill small, much shorter than the head, all the lateral outlines gradually 

 converging toward the end, the nail very large, broad, and prominent, forming the tip 

 of the bill; lamella? completely hidden. Adult male with the head crested, the colors 

 rich and varied, and the markings elegant; tertials exceedingly broad, truncate. 



The above characters are framed so as to include the Chinese Mandarin Duck (Ah- 

 galericulata), 1 the only other known species of the genus. This duck is Quite similar to 

 our Wood Duek in style of coloration and in general appearance, but differs in many 

 external characters, and if not generically distinct should at least be considered the type 

 of a different subgenus. 



Aix sponsa (Linn.) 

 WOOD DUCK. 



Popular synonyms. Summer Duck; Bridal Duck: Wood Widgeon (Connecticut); Acorn 

 Duck; Tree Duck. 



Anas sponsa LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 128; ed. 12, i, 1766, 207. WILS. Am. Orn. viii, 1814, 



97, pi. 70. fig. 3. NUTT. Man. ii, 1834, 394. AUD. Orn. Biog. iii, 1835, 52; v, 1839, CIS, 



pi. 206; Synop. 1839,280; B. Am. vi, 1843.271, pi. 391. 

 Ai.r sponsa BONAP. Comp. List, 1838, 57. BATED, B. N. Am. 1858, 785; Cat. N. Am. B. 



1859, No. 587,-CouES, Key, 1872, 288; Check List, 1873, No. 499; 2d ed. 1882, No. 719; 



B. N. W. 1874. 571,-BiDGW. Orn. 40th Par. 1877, 624; Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 613; 



Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 99. -A. O. U. Check List, 1886. No. 144. -B. B. & B. Water 



B. N. Am. ii, 1884. 11. 

 Dendronessa sponsa Sw. & RICH. F. B.-A. ii, 1831, 446. 



HAB. Whole of temperate North America, north to the Fur Countries; breeding 

 throughout its range. Cuba. Accidental in Europe. 



Sp. CHAK. Adult male: Chin, throat, and foreneck pure white, sending off laterally 

 two branches, the first across the cheeks, back of, and nearly to, the posterior angle of the 

 eye, the second across the lower part of the neck, almost to the nape; both bars tapering 

 toward the end, and somewhat curved or falcate in shape; a narrow white line begins at 

 the point of the maxillary anglo, and is continued backward on each side of the crown, wid- 

 ening considerably on the side of the crest; a second white line commences about half an 

 inch behind the eye, and nearly the same distance above the end of the white cheek-bar, 

 and follows the lower edge of the crest, where considerably wider posteriorly ; remainder of 

 the head silky metallic green, violet, and purple, as follows: cheeks and space behind the 

 white cheek-bar soft violaceous-black, in the latter region extending up to the lower white 

 stripe, but in the anterior area bounded above and anteriorly by dark metallic green; the' 

 orbital region and anterior half of the crest between the white lines metallic reddish-pur- 

 ple; forehead, crown, and posterior portion of the crest metallic green; terminal portion 

 of the crest, above, laterally, and beneath, dark metallic violet. Chest rich purplish chest- 

 nut, with a metallic-purple gloss laterally, the front and lower part marked with deltoid 

 spots of white, growing larger toward the breast; breast and abdomen immaculate white; 

 sides of the breast with a broad white transverse bar, and a wide black one immediately 

 behind it: siles and flanks pale fulvous-buff delicately waved with black, each of the broad 

 feathers forming the upper border beautifully marked with two black crescentic bars, in- 

 closing a white one; crissum dull black, fading gradually into dull rusty-fulvous on the 

 anal region. Back, lesser wing-coverts, and rump dark slaty brownish, very faintly glossed 

 with bronze, the wing-coverts more slaty, the rump much darker, and gradually deepening 

 into black toward the upper- tail-coverts, which, with the tail, are deep black, the latter with 

 bronze-green reflections in certain lights; a somewhat ovate patch (pointed posteriorly) of 

 rich dark metallic maroon-purple on each side of the rump, immediately behind the flanks ; 



l Aix galericulata LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 128. Aix galericulata BOIE, Isis, 1828,329. 



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