The Wood Duck. — Anas sjponsa. 149 



darker ; speculum green, blue violet, or amethyst-purple, bounded by velvet-black, 

 the feathers also tipped with a narrow line of white ; under surface of wing and 

 axillaries white. Female more brown, with the speculum similar, but without the 

 white terminal line. 



Male, 24^, 38| . Feniale, 22, 34^. 



Breeds in Texas, westward, and throughout the United States, British Pro- 

 Tinces, and Labrador. Columbia River. Common in autumn and spring along 

 the Middle Atlantic Districts. Abundant in the Southern and Western States, in 

 winter. 



Dusky Duckj Anas obscura, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 141, 



Anas obscura, Bonap. Syn. p. 384. 



Dusky Duck, Anas obscura, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 392. 



Dusky Duck, Anas obscura, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 15. 



ARTICLE XXIII.— 0/1 the Wood Duck, {Anas sponsa.) 



Anas Sponsa, The "Wood Duck, or Summer Duck. 



Specific Characters. — The most striking distinctive characters of the ' 

 male of this species are: the upper part of the head and long 

 pendulous crest deep bronze green, with white stripes; the 

 throat pure luhite ; breast reddish purple, spangled with 

 small tria7igular white spots; belly white; back brownish 

 black, a white crescent before the wings on either side ; the 

 white of the neck curving up towards the eye. Female, head 

 dusky and very slightly crested; throat white; breast and 

 abdomen white ; back dark brown. Male, 20)^-28 ; Female, 

 193^. Breeds throughout United States and British Pro- 

 vinces, to the Hudson's Bay Territories. 



The "Wood Duck is remarkable among the swimming birds from the 

 circumstance of its leading a partly arboreal life, perching upon trees, and 

 thus approaching in habit the numerous feathered tribes classed in the order 

 Insessores. There are only a few ducks known that have this habit, and it 

 is said the greater proportion of them are confined to India. The subject 

 of the present article is the only perching duck known to inhabit Canada. 

 All the birds of this group of the Natatores have exceedingly beautiful and 

 splendid plumage, and are particularly distinguished by a long pendulous 

 a'est of feathers arising from the posterior portion of the head and running 

 down the back of the neck, Mr. Lett informs us " that our species makes 

 its appearance here about the 5th of April, and remains until the latter end 

 of October, It breeds in this country, building its nest in a hollow tree, to 

 which the same bird will return year after year, 



" This bird derives its name from the latter circumstance, as well as 

 from its habit of perching on the branches of trees. This peculiarity S& 

 noticeable at the breeding season more than at any other time. Wood 

 ducks are very seldom seen on trees in the fall of the year, 



" The male bird of this species is the most beautiful of the whole tribe 

 0^ Ducks. In a preserved state it is generally to be found among the ornar 

 Dieotp.! curiosities of museums. The female possesses none of the elegant 



