ANATID^ — FULIGULINJE: SEA DUCKS. 



703 



E. of the Mississippi and aldug Atlantic Coast; breeds in high hititudes, winters in U. S 



One of the commonest market-ducks in eastern cities in winter, selling readily for canvas- 

 back, and more likely to be distinguished 



therefrom with the feathers on than oflF! 



Nest on ground, or among reeds over water 



like a coot's, down-lined. Eggs 7-S, buflf, 



2.25 X 1.70. 



Aristonetta. 

 724. I*'- vallisne'ria. (Name of a genus of 



a<[uatic plants, the wild celery, V. spiralis, dedicated to 



Antonio Vallisneri, an Italian naturalist. Figs. 485, 4559, 490.) 



Cana^as-back. Adult (J : The head close-feathered. Bill 



high at the base and narrow throughout or scarcely widened 



toward end, sloping gradually up to the top of the head in line 



with the 5weep of the forehead, altogether somewhat like a 



goose's in shape ; decidedly longer than head, 2i inches to 



nearly or quite 3 in length, measured along the culmen; the 



nostrils reaching the middle of the bill, their fore end half-way 



from upper corner to end of bill. Bill not blue, black-belted, 



but blackish throughout. Eyes red. Feet grayish-blue. 



Head and upper neck not coppery brownish-red, but dark 



reddish-brown, further much obscured with dusky or quite 



blackish about the bill and on top. Ground color of back 



white, very finely vermiculated with zigzag blackish 



much narrower than the intervening spaces, and tending to 



break up, or mostly broken up, into little chains of dots across 



tiie feathers; the resulting silvery-gray tone consequently 



several shades lighter than in the red-head. Other characters 



substantially as in that species. 9 differs as 9 red-head does ; 



head dark snuffy-brown, etc., but the bill is colored as in the ^, and sufficiently preserves its 



peculiar shape ; eyes 

 reddish-brown. Size 

 of the red-head, or a 

 little larger ; tarsus 

 1 ,75 ; bill longer, as 

 above ; culmen much 

 over 2 inches; gape 

 about 2.67 ; line from 

 upper corner to tip 

 nearly or quite 3.00, 

 of which distance the 

 nostrils reach half 

 way. N. Am. at 

 large ; breeds from 

 the northern tier of 

 States northward, in 

 the R. Mts. further 

 south, and in upper 

 California ; winters in 

 the U. S. and south - 



Fig. 489. — Canvas-back, i iiat. 

 size. (From nature by J. L. Ridg- 

 way.) 



