906 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — LAMELLIROSTRES — ANSERES. 



14-16-feathered. Coloration exactly as in the western subspecies of canadensis (occidentalis) 

 — that is, general tone dark, especially on under parts, where usually sharply contrasted with 

 a white half-collar on the lower neck or fore breast and the white crissum ; and white cravat 

 on clieeks tending to break up in a pair of patches. Size at the mininiuni of hutchinsi, and 

 generally still less, the bird being ordinarily about the size of a Mallard. Length 23.00-25.00 ; 

 wing 13.75-14.75; culmeu hardly over one inch. Eggs about 3.00 X 2.00. Chiefly western 

 North America, especially the Pacific coast region, breeding in Alaska, about the Yukon delta, 

 etc., S. in winter to California and Colorado ; E. occasionally to the Mississippi, but unknown 

 on the Atlantic side of the Alleghanies. On the Pacific side it bears the same relation to 

 occidentalis that is borne in eastern North America by hutchinsi to canadensis proper. It is 

 curious to remark how size is correlated with presence or absence of the white collar at the 

 bottom of the neck of these four Geese : thus canadensis, large, coUarless; hutchinsi, small, col- 

 larless ; occidentalis, large, collared ; minima, small, collared. Furthermore, each one has just 

 about as many inches in length of wing as there are feathers in the tail ! This is the little 

 "White-necked" Goose figured by Cassin, 111. 1855, pi. 45, p. 272, as B. " leucopareia 

 Brandt," but it is not Brandt's bird ; Mr. Cassin himself thought it was probably identical 

 with hutchinsi, and cites the latter name in his synonymy without a query. It is not B. " leii- 

 copareia Cass." of Baird, 1858, which is B. c. occidentalis, nor Branta c. leucopareia of the 

 Key, 1872, which is also occidentalis. But it is Branta c. leucopareia of my Check-List, 1873, 

 No. 485 a; of CouES in Elliott's Alaska, 1875, p. 190; Bernicla c. leucoparia of my Check- 

 List, 2d ed. 1882, No. 703 ; and of the Key, 2d-4th eds. 1884-90, p. G89, No. 703; of Ridgw. 

 Check-List, 1881, No. 594 h ; Bernicla c. leucopareia Eidgw. in Bd. Brew. Ridgw. Water- 

 Birds, i, 1884, pp. 456, 459. It is Branta cassini of my MSS. 1885, never published ; Branta 

 minima Ridgw. Pr. U. S. N. M. viii, Apr. 1885, p. 22 ; Branta c. minima Id. ibid. p. 355 ; 

 A. 0. U. No. 172 c. 



DENDROCYG'NA. (Gr. 8ev8poif, dendron, a tree ; Lat. ci/gnus, a swan.) Tree Ducks. 

 Duck-like arboricole species, with bill longer than head, terminated by a prominent decurved 

 nail ; lamellae not projecting ; nostrils small, oval, in basal half of bill. Legs very long ; tibiae 

 extensively denuded below; hind toe lengthened, more than 5 as long as tarsus; tarsi reticu- 

 late, as in Geese proper. Wings ample, rounded: 1st quill shorter than 4th. Coloration 

 variegated. Sexes similar. Nest in trees. In addition to the two following species, a third, 

 D. arborea, of tlie West Indies, may occur in the South. The genus contains about 9 species 

 (including D. (Leptotarstis) eytoni), almost universally represented in tropical and warm- 

 temperate regions of the globe. Its character is somewhat equivocal, as between AnserincR 

 and Anatinrr. I think it really belongs to the latter subfamily, in the vicinity of the Shiel- 

 drake group ; with which expression of my views I leave it in the position it has occupied in 

 former editions of the Key, as also in the A. O. U. Lists. 



Analysis of Species. 



Bill and feet blackish ; coloration largely cinnamon ; no white wing-patch fuk'a 



Bill and feet reddish ; coloration largely blackish ; a large white wing-patch aiUumnalis 



D. ful'va. (Lat. /wZro, fulvous, reddish. Fig. G34.) FuLVOUS Tree Duck. Adult ^ ?: 

 Bill bluish-black ; feet slaty-blue ; iris brown. Pale cinnamon or yellowish-brown, extensive 

 and nearly uniform on lower parts, darker on head, streaked with lighter on flanks; nape and 

 hind-neck with a black line ; scapulars and fore back blackish with pale cinnamon edgings of 

 the feathers. Rump and tail black; upper and under tail-coverts white. No white speculum on 

 wing; lesser wing-coverts chocolate-brown ; rest of wing black on both surfaces. Length about 

 20.00; extent 36.00; wing 9.50 ; tail 3.25; tarsus 2.25; bill 1.50, with hooked nail. Young 

 similar ; less chestnut on the wing-coverts ; lower parts paler fulvous ; upper tail-coverts not 

 purely white. Ducklings in down above grayish-brown, below whitish; head striped with 



