g6 HISTORY OF THE 



The birds are not very abundant anywhere, but more com- 

 mon in the interior than upon either coast. In habits, as well 

 as in distribution, they are similar to the Lesser Scaup. 



May 24th, 1867, my brother found one of their nests, con- 

 taining ten eggs, at Pewaukee, Wisconsin; it was placed in a 

 thick growtli of grass near the water's edge, and rather neatly 

 made of old grasses and slightly lined with feathers and down. 

 In the early settlement of the State they were quite a common 

 summer resident there. He has since found several of their 

 nests in Minnesota; and the birds have also been found breed- 

 ing at Calais, Maine, in Manitoba, and on the McKenzie River, 

 at Fort Simpson. 



Eggs usually seven to ten, 2.33x1.57; in color and form the 

 same as the Scaup species. 



Genus GLAUCIONETTA Ste.jneger. 



" Graduation of tail much more than length of bill from nostril; distance from 

 tip of bill to loral feathering less than graduation of tail; distance from anterior 

 end of nostril to loral feathers equal to or greater than width of bill at base; 

 distance from anterior end of nostril to tip of bill much less than from same 

 point to loral feathers; tail less than twice as long as tarsus." 



Glaucionetta clangula americana (Boxap.). 



AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE. 

 PLATE VII. 



Migratory; rare. An occasional winter sojourner. 



B. 593. R. 620. C. 725. G. 297, 39. U. 151. 



Habitat. North America in general, north to the Arctic 



coast; south in winter to Mexico and Cuba. 



Sp. Char. '■'■Adult male: Head and upper half of neck black, glossed with 

 dark green, vai-ying to violet; a roundish white spot between the rictus and the 

 eye, but not reaching to the latter; back, inner scapulars, tertials, rump and 

 upper tail coverts deep black; lower half of the neck (all round), lower parts, 

 outer scapulars, posterior lesser, middle and greater wing coverts and seconda- 

 ries pure white; anterior lesser wing coverts, and outer edges of scapulars and 

 flank feathers, and concealed portion of greater coverts, deep black; primaries 

 blackish dusky; tail dull slate; sides of anal region behind the flanks clouded 



