70 



all kinds of Ducks. One of the first steps to attract Ducks to reservations 

 and private waters should be the clearing out of carp and the planting of 

 wild celery and wild rice Zizania aquatica. 



148. Greater Scaup Duck. American scaup, broad-bill, greater or lake 

 BLUEBiLL. FR. — MORiLLON A T^TE NOIRE. Mania marila. L, 18-50. A medium-sized 

 Duck — male, white below; head, neck, and upper breast black; and a black and white 

 vermiculated canvas-Uke back. Females without canvas-back; blacks reduced to reddish 

 browns of various shades; white face mark at base of bill. 



Distinctions. Greater and Lesser Scaups are of almost exactly similar coloration 

 but can usually be distinguished by size, or by shape and size of terminal nail on biU. Nail 

 proportionately wider and more nearly circular in the Greater. Head of adult Greater 

 Scaup has greenish gloss instead of changing to slightly purple on crown. Reddish 

 shade on heads of young and females sometimes quite noticeable, and they may be mis- 

 taken for the Canvas-back, Redhead, or sometimes the Golden-eye, but white spot at 

 base of biU and across forehead, or white wing patch are always distinctive of the Scaups. 

 Ring-necked Duck, which also resembles them, has grey speculum instead of white. 



Field Marks. Almost impossible to distinguish the two Scaups in hfe. Males of both 

 species in flight appear black on front third of body and on the remainder except tail, 

 but including secondary wing quiUs, white. White face mark at base of bill, as above, 

 is best field mark for female. 



Nesting. On ground, in grass near grassy ponds. 



Distribution. Uncommon migrant and rare breeder on Atlantic coast; common 

 on Great Lakes; nests in numbers in northwest. 



The Greater Scaup is more of an open water bird than the Lesser as 

 is indicated by one of its common names, but it often comes with other 

 species into the marshes lor wild celery and rice. 



149. Lesser Scaup Duck, river broad-bill. little or marsh bltjebill. 

 FR. — LE PETIT MORILLON. Marila affinis. L, 16-50. Almost exactly similar to the last 

 but a little smaller. Crown of adult male has a purphsh instead of greenish gloss as on 

 other parts of head. 



Distinctions. See previous species. 



Field Marks. See previous species. Scaups in hfe distinguished from each other 

 only by size. 



Nesting. On groimd, near grassy ponds. 



Distribution. Shghtly less common in eastern Canada than the preceding. Breeds 

 in western Canada and occasionally farther east to Great Lakes. 



This is one of the commonest ducks away from the seacoast and 

 more of a marsh and small-water bird than the preceding. 



150. Ring-necked Duck, ring-billed duck. fr. — morillon a collier. Marila 

 collaris. L, 16-50. Very close in coloration to preceding two species, but without the 

 canvas-coloured back; with a light ring about bill near end, and faint brown or copper- 

 coloured ring about neck. 



Distinctions. Young Ring-necks and females may be mistaken for either the Scaups, 

 Golden-eye, Redhead, or Canvas-back', but may be distinguished from the Scaups by 

 the grey instead of white speculum, the female by fine white eye ring, and from any of 

 the other ducks by white face marks usually connected across chin. 



Field Marks. Male can be told from the Scaups by its black back, and female by 

 its white chin and fine hght eye ring; and either, in adult plumage, by light ring on the 

 biU. 



Nesting. On groimd, near grassy ponds. 



Distribution. Scarce migrant in the east where it once nested occasionally; scarce 

 on Great Lakes; breeds regularly in the west. 



151. Golden-eye. whistle-wing, whistler, great head. fr. — la buc£- 

 PHALE d'am^rique. plongeur. Clangula Clangula. L, 20. A rather large, heavily 

 built duck, strikingly coloured in black and white. The back and head are black; the 

 remainder of the plumage, including a very conspicuous circular spot between the eye 



'See footnote, p. 63. 



