BinnS OF KANSAS. 53 



deep black. Wing coverts dark gray, lighter and more ashy posteriorly; greater 

 coverts broadly tipped with white, the base black, this exposed sufficiently to 

 show a distinct band; inner secondaries with their exposed surface (inclosed 

 wing) white, the basal portion black, showing narrowly beyond the end of the 

 greater coverts; tertials with a central stripe of white. Primaries, primary 

 coverts, rump, upper tail coverts and tail brownish dusky. Sides of the breast 

 crossed by two black crescents, projecting from the black of the back, these 

 iuterdigitating with two white ones, the last crescent being black. Sides and 

 flanks rusty cinnamon (more grayish anteriorly), narrowly undulated with black; 

 remaining lower parts white, the posterior part of the crissum mottled with 

 grayish brown. Bill deep black; iris bright yellow; legs and feet yellowish 

 brown, the claws dusky. Adult female: Head, neck, jugulum, and upper parts 

 generally, grayish brown, darker above, the crest reddish hair brown or dull 

 cinnamon, smaller and of looser texture than in the male; chin, upper part of 

 the throat and lower parts, except sides and posterior part of the crissum, 

 white; middle feathers of the greater wing coverts tipped with white; inner 

 secondaries with their exposed surface white, except at the base. Maxilla black, 

 edged with orange; mandible orange; iris hazel; feet dusky. Young: Similar 

 to the adult female, but crest rudimentary or wanting, the sides and posterior 

 part of the crissum more distinctly brown. Doicny young: Above, deep hair 

 brown, darkest on the back and rump; posterior border of the arm wing, a small 

 spot on each side of the back (nearly concealed by the closed wing), and a larger 

 one on each side of the rump, grayish white. Lower half of the head ( from 

 about on a line Vith the eye) brownish buff, paler on the chin and throat; jug- 

 ulum light dingy brownish; remaining lower parts dingy white, the sides browu, 

 like the upper parts." 



St7ctrh of 



Wing. 



7.75 

 7 25 



This handsome species is common inland upon the sti-eams 

 and ponds, but I have seklom met with it upon the salt water. 

 The birds are swift in flight, graceful upon the water, and active 

 divers. Their food consists of small fishes, crawfish, frogs, and 

 all forms of insect life. 



Their nests are placed in shallow holes and trough-like cavi- 

 ties in trees near the streams, and are lined with grasses, leaves, 

 feathers and down. Soon after the young are hatched, the 

 mother carries them by the neck or wing to a secluded retreat 

 at the water's edge. Eggs six to ten, 2.10x1.72; pure ivory 

 white, with a few neutral tints; in form, ovate to rounded ovate. 



Subfamily ANATIN^. Kiver Ducks. 



Lower mandible with a very distinct series of iamellse along the side, in 

 addition to the series along upper edge. ( Ridgicay.) 



