80 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



Fttnalt: — Witli the head aud anterior parts brown, and other black parts of the 

 male, rather brown ; face, pure white. Length, about 20 ; wing, 9. 



Hab. — North America, breeding far north. 



Nest, of weeds and dry grass, lined witli down, placed on the ground. 



Kggs. si.K to ten, grayish-green. 



This and the next species, which are nearly allied, are the ducks 

 most fre([uently met in Southern Ontario, where they are known as 

 Bluebills. Tn the fall they remain in Hamilton Bay till thej' are 

 frozen out, and in .spring, even before the bay is open, they appear out- 

 side on Lake Ontario, and make frequent excursions inward to watch 

 for the moving of ice. In spring many remain in the bay till about 

 the first of May, by which time they seem all to be paired, but I have 

 no record of their having been found breeding, and think it likelj' 

 that nearly all spend the summer in the north of the Province. 



This is the larger bird of the two species, and is considered to 

 be somewhat hardier than its little brother. It breeds commonly 

 throughout the North- West and in Alaska. Mr. Nelson says regard- 

 ing it: "Everywhere in suitable locations over all the mainland 

 portions of Alaska this is a common and frequently an abundant 

 summer resident. In the north, as in the south, these birds show a 

 predilection for the larger bodies of water, and at once, after the 

 5'oung are hatched, they are marshalled off to the largest j)ond in the 

 vicinity." 



The big Bluebill is common at all the shot)ting stations in Southern 

 Ontario, where its large size makes the game-bag heavy, a fact which 

 is duly appreciated by the hunters. 



AYTHYA AFFINIS (Eyt.). 



49. Lesser Scaup Duck. (140) 



Similar to the preceding, but smaller, about Hi; wing, 8; gloss of head 

 chiefly purple ; flanks and scapulars less closely waved with black (?) It is very 

 difficult to define this bird specifically, anil it may be simply a small southern 

 form; but it appears to j)i'escrve its characteristics though constantly asso- 

 ciated with the last. 



Hab. — North America in general, luicdiiig cliiclly north nf tin- United 

 States, migrating south to (iuateniala ami the West Indies. 



Clo.sely resembles the preceding, except in being considciably less 

 in size. Nesting habits and eggs are the same. 



According to Dr. Coues, this is a southerly bird, not breeding so 



