ANATID.E— THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 157 



Subgenus Aythya Boie. 



A ythya Boie, Isis. 1822, 501. Type, by elimination, Anasferina Linn. 



Subgen. Char. Culmen longer than inner toe, with claw; bill not wider near end than 

 at base, much shorter than middle toe without claw, its greatest width nearly half the length 

 of the culmen, the end moderately depressed, and the nail decidedly hooked. Adult males 

 with the head and upper neck reddish. 



Only one American species, the common Red-head (J. wineri- 

 ccma), belongs to this subgenus. It is a near relative of, but 

 is decidedly distinct from, the Pochard, of Europe, .1. ferina 

 (Linn.). 



Aythya americana (Eyt.) 



RED -HEAD. 



Popular synomyms. Red-headed Duck; American Pochard; Red-headed Broad-bill: Red- 

 headed Raft Duck. 

 Anas /erma- Wils. Am. Orn. viii, 1814, 110, pi. 70 tig. <; (not Linn.). 

 Fuligula ferbna Bonap. Synop. 1828, 392— Sw. & Rich. P. B.-A. ii, 1831, 452-Nutt. Man. 

 ii, 1831, 134— Aud. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 198, pi. 322; Synop. 1839, 287; B. Am. vi, 1843, 311, 

 pi. 396. 

 Fuligula americana Eyton, Mon. Anat. 1838,155. 

 Aythya ferina 6 americana Bonap. Compt. Bend, xliii, Sept. 1856, 051. 

 Aythya americana Baird, B. N. Am. 1858,793; Cat. N. Am. P.. is:.'.'. No. 591.— Ridgw. 

 Orn. 40th Par. 1877, 624; Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 101.— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 146. 

 Mthyia americana Scl. & Salt. Nom. Neotr. 1873.— Ridgw. Norn. B. 1881, No. 618. 



— B. B. & R. Water B.N. Am. ii, 1S84, 36. 

 Aythya ferina, vur. americana Allen, Bull. M. C X. iii, 1872, 183. 

 Fuligula ferina, var. americana Coues, Key, 1872. 289; Check List, 1873, No. 503; B. N. 



W. 1874, 575.— HBNSH. Zool Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 480. 

 Fuligula ferina americana Coues, Check List. 2d ed. 1882, No. 72:;. 

 Aythya erythrocephala Bonap. Comp. List, 1838, 58. 

 Had. Tho whole of North America, breeding from central California. Minnesota, nor- 

 thern Iowa. Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maino, to the Fur Countries: Bahamas, Central 

 A tnerioa, etc., In winter. 



sr. Char. Bill much shorter than the middle toe (without claw), broad, tho end mod- 

 erately depressed, and wiih the nail decidedly deeurved, the culmen about two and a half 

 times the greatest width of the maxilla, and decidedly concave. Adult male: Head and 

 upper half, or more, of the neck rich reddish chestnut, the latter glossed with reddish pur- 

 ple; lower part of tho neck, ohest, anterior part of the back, lower part of the rump, upper 

 tail-coverts, andorissum, black; back, scapulars, sides, and Hanks, densely vermiculated 

 with white and dusky in about equal proportion: anal region similarly, but more faintly. 

 marked; entire abdomen Immaculate white; wing-coverts deep plumbeous-gray, faintly 

 and minutely sprinkled with whi de bluish gray, tho upper 



feati "it black, the others narrowlj tipped with white; primaries dusky, the [n- 



aer quills slate-gray, exoepl al end-; tail dusky. Bill pale blue, the end black; iris bright 

 low: feet light gray. Adultjema < Head and neck grayish brown, darkest above ;th interior 



par! "f the head lighter, almost white on the chin and upper part of the thr Ides, 



and Banks dull grayish brown, the feathers tipped with fulvous; wings as in the male, but 

 theooverta plain slate-color; baokand Boapulars grayish brown, the feathers with paler 



