ANATID.E— THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 143 



pinkish of the chest. No. 62,525, from St. Paul's Island, Alaska, 

 is most like the Alexandria specimen. 



A young male (No. 57,119, Europe) has the brown of the 

 head, neck, sides, and flanks, almost chestnut; the wing as in 

 the adult, and the dorsal region mostly clothed with feathers 

 of the adult dress. 



According to Dr. Brewer ( Water Birds of North. America, Vol. 

 I., p. 519), "two instances are on record" of the occurrence of 

 the Widgeon in Illinois. Its habits are quite similar to those of 

 the Baldpate. 



Anas americana Gmel. 



BALDPATE. 



Popular synonyms. American Widgeon; Green-headed Widgeon; Bald-head; Bald-face; 



Bald-crown; White-belly; Poacher (Detroit, Mich.); Wheat Duck (Oregon). 

 Anas americana Gmel. S. N. i,pt. ii, 1788, 526— Wils. Am. Orn. viii, 1814, 86, pi. 09, fig. 1.— 

 Aud. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 337, pi. 315; Synop. 1839, 279; B. Am. vi, 1843, 259, pi. 389.— A. 

 O. U. Check List, ISSt;, No. 137— Kidgw. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 96. 

 Mareca americana Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. xii, pt. ii, 1821, 135.— Sw. & Rich. F. B.- A. 

 ii, 1831, 445— Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 783; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 585— CouES.Key, 

 1872, 286; Check List, 1873, No. 493; 2d ed. 1882, No. 713; Birds N. W. 1874, 561.— Hensh. 

 Zool. Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 475— Bidgw. Orn. 40th Tar. 1877, 622; Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, 

 No. 607.— B. B. & 11. Water B. N. Am. i, 1884, 520. 

 Mareca penelope, b., Blasius, B. Eur. 1862, 21. 

 Hab. North America in general, north to Arctic Ocean, south, in winter, to Guatemala 

 and Cuba. A' -cidental in Europe. Breeds nearly throughout its range. 



Sp. Char. Adult male in winter: Forehead and middle of crown (lbngitudinallyi 

 white, generally immaculate; ground-color of head and neck white, sometimes more or less 

 soiled with grayish or brown, and thickly speckled with black; a broad space of metallic 

 blackish green on the side of the occiput, running forward to the eye, and sometimes down 

 the nape, where the two spaces are confluent. Chest plain pinkish vinaceous; sides and 

 flanks the same, delicately waved with black; lower tail-coverts velvety black; rest of lower 

 parts pure white. Lack am - grayish white, more or less tinged with the color of 



the sides, and similarly wared with black. Wing-coverts immaculate pure white, the an- 

 terior portion of the lesser-covert region ashy, and the last row tipped with velvety black : 

 speculum soft metallic green anteriorly, velvety black posteriorly; tertials velvety black, 

 sharply edged with white, the lower one with its lower edge entirely pure white; primaries 

 plaiD slate-grayish. Bump ashy, minutely waved en the edges oi the feathers; upper tail- 

 coverts velvety black, the inner webs mostly grayish: tail hoary grayish. Bill light grayish 

 blue, the end black; iris b;own; legs an.! leet light bluish. Length, about 20.00 inches; wing. 

 10.25-10.75; culmen.l 1.45-105; middle lee, 1.65-1.85. Adult I Lbove, 



.in i.\ grayish brown, with trans erse, rather distant, bars of dull white or light ochrai us. 



Wing-coyerts dark dull ashy, broadly tipped and bordered with white: speculum dullbl 

 Eeadand ueck streaked with blackish upon a dull whitish ground, the former color pre- 

 vailing "ii the nape and behind the eye, Chest pale grayish vina us, the feathers darker 



: sides and flanks deeper vinaceous; lower tail-coverts transversely 



ted with brown; reel of lower parts pure white. Somewhat smaller than the male 



(length aboul 18.00 inches). Young malt : Similar to the adult female, bid the colors more 



pronounced and the pattern ben. r defined, especially on the wing. Downy young: Above, 



