ANATID.E — THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 159 



female resembled the cry of the Mallard so nearly that, had I 

 hoard and not seen the bird, I should have supposed it to be 

 the Mallard." 



Subgenus Aristonetta Baird. 



Aristonetta Baikd, B. N. Am. 1S58, 793, in text. Type, Anas vallisneria Wels. 



Subgen. Char. Culmen noarly or quite as long as middle toe, without claw, and equal 

 to three times the neatest width of the bill; end of bill much flattened, and nail very 

 slightly hooked. Otherwise like Aythya, the coloration, in particular, very similar. 



This subgenus contains only one species, the celebrated Canvas- 

 back of wide range but local fame. 



Aythya vallisneria (Wils. 



CANVAS-BACK. 



Popular synonyms. Canvas-back Duck; White-back; Canard Cheval (New Orleans); Bull- 

 neck; Red-headed Bull-nock. 



Anas vallisneria "Wils. Am. Orn. viii. 1814, 103, pi. 7, fig. 3. 

 Fuligula vallisneria Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. xii, pt. ii, 1824, 196.— Sw. & Rich. P. 



B.-A. ii, 1831, 151.— Nutt. Man. ii, 1834, 430— Aud. Orn. Biog. iv. 1838, 1, pi. 301; Synop. 



L839, l'S">; B. Am. vi, 1843, 299, pi. 395.— Coues, Key. 1872, 290; Check List, 1873, No. 501; 



ed.2, 1882, No. 724; I'.. N. W. 1874, 575. 

 Aythya vallisneria Bora, Isis. 1826, 980.— Baird, B.N. Am. 1858. 794; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, 



N.i. 592.— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 147.— RrDGW. Orn. 10th Bar. 1877, 625; Man. N. 



Am. B. 1>87, 102. 

 Mthyia vallisneria Sol. & Salv. Nom, Neotr. 187:!.— Kidgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 



617.— B. B.& Et. Water 1',. N. Am. ii, 1881. 30. 

 Aristonetta vallisneria Baird, B.N. Am. 1858, 793 (in text). 



HAB. Nearly the whole of North America, breeding from the northwestern States 

 northward to Alaska; south in winter tot luatemala. 



sp. Char Bill long and narrow, tho end much depressed, with the nail Bcarcely de- 

 curved, thi b, with the culmen Lrradually sloping and scarcely concave; culmen 



nearly as Ions as the middle toe (without claw), and about three tinier the greatesl width of 

 the maxilla. Adult male: Head and neck chestnut-rufous, the former brownish dusky 

 (sometimes quite blackish) anteriorly and on top; chest and anterior part of the back, lower 

 part of rump, upper tail-coverts, and posterior part of crissum black: back, scapulars, 

 Hanks, sides, ami anal region white, finely and delicately vermioulated with dusky; bi 

 aid abdomen Immaculate white. Wing-coverts deep ash-gray, finely sprinkled with 

 white; secondaries ("speculum") lighter, mine bluish, may, the upper feathers edged with 



irimariess) tie Inner quills more ashy, 



where dusky; tail dusky. Bill entirely greenish black; Iris carmine-red ; 

 Head, ii ml anterior part of baok raw-umber 



brown, a postocular space and the foreneok whitish, the chin, throat, and oheeks tinged 

 with fulvous; w bags as in the male, but coverts alim>st or quite uniform gray ; baok, soap- 

 Hi. ii th only, the ads of the feathers vermioulated with white 



and dusky, the remainder -being grayish brown. Bill greenish black; iris brownish i 



.:ui> ish. 



