DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 65 



and has doubtless come from its habit of feediiii^- at the bottom of the 

 lake. Goss gives its food as seeds, roots, aud plant stems, shelltish 

 and various forms of life found in both deep aud shallow water. 

 He adds that when fat it is a good table duck. My own experience 

 is that, roasted Indian fashion in the fire with the feathers on, its 

 meat is juicy, tender, and of delicious flavor, particularly if you are 

 hungry! Vernon Bailey. 



GENUS NOMONYX. 



[168.] Nomohyx dominicus {Linn.). Masked Duck. 



iSinular to the riuldy duck, hut tail with 20 instead of IS feathers, and 

 bill smaller with wider nail — nail over .25 wide instead of .10 as in the 

 ruddy. Adult male : front of head black ; neck, sides, and back bright 

 chestnut, streaked on back with black ; wings black, with a large white 

 patch. Adult female : crown blackish ; side of head with two black and 

 two buffy stripes ; neck and sides dull brownish ; back duskv. Length : 

 12.00-14.50, wing- about 5.50-5.75, tail ;:;.50-4.50, bill I.oO-I.oT". 



Distribution. — Tropical Amei'ica and West Indies ; north on Gulf coast 

 to Lower Rio Grande ; accidental in eastern United States. 



GENUS CHEN. 



General Characters. — Bill short and hig-h at base, dull red, with whitish 

 tip ; feet dull red ; plumage of adults white, exeei^t for wing', which lias a 

 black tip and adjoining- gray patch. Young- with head, neck, and upper 

 parts light gray ; rump, tail, and under parts wliite, feet and tail dusky. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Bill very stout, with black along edges. 



2. Smaller, wing 14.50-17.00 hyperborea, p. ()5 



2. Larger, wing 17.o5-17. 50 nivalis, p. <'>(). 



1'. Bill not very stout, without black on cutting edges ; wing l;].75-b").5(). 



rossii, p. OG. 



169. Chen hyperborea (Pall.). Lesser Snow Goose. 



A<hdts. — A conspicuous liard, black ])late along side of lower mandible ; 

 plumage pure wliite except for wing, wliicli has black tip and gray patch ; 

 white of head and sometimes neck and breast washed or stained with 

 rusty orange. Lencjth: 23-28, wing 14.50-17.00, bill l.l)5-2.oO. 



IJistrihution. — Western North America, breeding in Alaska ; south in 

 winter to southern California, Gulf of Mexico, and east to Kans;is and 

 southern Illinois. 



Tiie snow i2;cese, or wliite l)raut, arc common in migration over the 

 western United States, wintering in California, southern Utah, Texas, 

 and Mexico. Tliey are oftenest seen on the wing high overhead in 

 long diagonal lines or V-shaped th)cks. Hying rapidly and uttering a 

 chorus of shrill falsetto cries ; but not infreciuently they are found in 

 some big marsli, on the open praine, or in a field of grain, massed till 

 they look like a spring snow bank. Much of their food is gleaned 

 from the stubble fields during the fall migration and from fields of 



