ANATIN^ — THE DUCKS — iETHYIA. 



37 



between that of ^. americana and JE. vallisneria ; its color is also different, bein" black crossed 

 by a band of pale blue, instead of pale blue with the end black ; the entire abdomen is undulated 

 with gray, like the sides and flanks, only more delicately, while the back, scapulars, and sides are 

 much Avhiter than in A^. americana. The rich chestnut-red of the neck is destitute of the metallic 

 reddish-purple gloss, while it involves the en- 

 tire neck, even tinging the anterior part of the 

 back, instead of being confined to about the 

 upper half of the neck ; the wing-coverts are 

 also much lighter colored, and, in most speci- 

 mens, very distinctly vermiculated with white, 

 instead of nearly plain slaty gray. In general 

 size the European species is decidedly infe- 

 rior ; the tarsus is considerably shorter, while 

 the middle toe is decidedly longer. 



The female of the Red-head resembles that 

 of the Ring-neck, or Ring-billed Black-head 

 (Fulix collaris), so closely as to be distin- 

 guished with difficulty, except on direct com- 

 parison. The latter has all the colors darker, 

 however, the fore part of the head and the 

 throat more decidedly white, and the bill much 

 shorter and broader. The different propor- 

 tions, however, afford the surest means of dis- 

 tinguishing them, the two species comparing 

 about as follows : — Female. 







^.americana. Wing, 8.50 inches ; culmen, 1.90; greatest width of bill, .85, least width, 



.75 ; tarsus, 1.60 ; middle toe, 2.30. 

 F. collaris. Wing, 7.50 inches ; culmen, 1.80 ; greatest width of bill, .85, least width, .65 ; 



tarsus, 1.35; middle toe, 2.00. 



The Eed-head Duck lias a distribution more or less general throughout North 

 America, breeding in high northern latitudes down to about 44°, and frequenting in 

 the Avinter the southern portions of the continent as far as Mexico. It is found both 

 on the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts. 



It was met with on the western coast of Mexico, near Mazatlan, by Colonel Gray- 

 son, and in Northeastern Mexico and Southern Texas by Mr. Dresser. It is given as 

 occurring on the Pacific coast at A^ancouver Island by Mr. K. BroAvne. On the coast 

 of California, according to Dr. Cooper, the Eed-head is not so common as the Canvas- 

 back, but it has been obtained from San Prancisco to San Diego, and throughout the 

 interior in the winter. Dr. Heermann believes that some of these Ducks breed in 

 the marshes of the Sacramento Valley ; and he mentions obtaining several females 

 there in June with their breasts denuded of feathers, as is usually the case with Ducks 

 when sitting on their eggs. Mv. J. A. Allen found this species in great abundance 

 in the valley of Great Salt Lake, Utah. 



Richardson states that this species breeds in all parts of the Fur Countries, from 

 the fiftieth parallel to their most northern limits. Mr. Boardman informs me that 

 in the summer of 1871 he found a pair of Eed-heads which were evidently breeding 

 in the vicinity of Calais, Me. This statement, coupled with that of Dr. Heermann, 

 goes to show that this species, on both the eastern and the western shores, breeds 

 much farther south than the limit assigned by Dr. Eichardson. Its nest and eggs 

 were afterward, in the summer of 1874, actually found by j\Ir. William Bryant about 

 thirty miles north of Calais. The presence of this bird about Calais had been pre- 



