910 



SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS.— LAMELLIROSTRES — ANSERES. 



coverts white. Bill pink and black; caruncles and naked skin of head rosy; feet black. 

 Length about 30.00; wing 14..50 or more; culmen 2.50; tarsus 2.25. 9 similar, less bril- 

 liant, with much less white on the wing; caruncles less developed or lacking altogether; size 

 less ; length about 24.00 ; wing 12.50, etc. A very well known Duck, native of South and 

 Central America, now domesticated everywhere, and in domestication varying indefinitely. It 

 is not known to have occurred wild in North America, though that is not improbable, but has 

 been doubtfully attributed to Louisiana: see also observation under Anas boscas. (Not in 

 former editions of the Key; nor in A. 0. U. Lists.) 



JEX. (Gr. ai^, aix, a kind of water-fowl in Aristotle; the proper spelling in Lat. is ^x.) 

 Bridal Ducks. Head crested. Bill shorter than head, no longer than tarsus, very high at 

 base ; re-entrances at sides of culmen much prolonged toward forehead. Nostrils large, oval, 

 set little in advance of feathers on culmen. Terminal nail occupying whole end of bill, and 

 much curved downward. Lamellae small, few, and distant. Tarsus incompletely scutellate in 

 front, much shorter than middle toe. Claws compressed, curved, and acute, that of the middle 

 toe dilated on inner edge. Tail half as long as wing, rounded, of 16 rounded feathers, and very 

 long coverts. A peculiar as well as most beautiful genus; the Chinese Mandarin Duck, A. 

 (Dendronessa) galerieulata, is still more remarkably, though not more elegantly, colored than 

 ours. The proper position of the genus is in question ; it is more nearly related to some of the 

 foregoing forms than to any of the following Ducks, and some authors take it out of the sub- 

 family AnatincB. 



A. spon'sa. (Lat. sponsa, betrothed : i. e., as if in wedding dress. Fig. 636.) Wood Duck. 

 Summer Duck. "The Bride." Adult <J: Bill pinkish-white, with lake-red base, black 



ridge, tip, and under mandible; iris and edges 

 of eyelids red ; feet orange, with black claws. 

 Upper part of head, including crest, glisten- 

 ing green and purple; a narrow white line 

 over eye from bill to occiput, and another 

 behind eye to nape, these white lines mixing 

 in the crest. A broad white patch on throat, 

 forking behind, one branch mounting head 

 behind eye, the other passing to side of neck. 

 Sides and front of lower neck and fore breast 

 rich purplish-chestnut, prettily marked with 

 several chains of angular white spots. A 

 large white black -edged crescent of enlarged 

 feathers in front of wing. Under parts pure 

 white ; sides yellowish-gray vermiculated 

 with black and white wavy bars ; enlarged 

 ilank-feathers broadly rayed with black and 

 white ; lining of wings white barred with grayish-brown, of which color is the crissum. Up- 

 per parts generally lustrous with bronzy-green and purple ; scapulars and inner secondaries 

 velvet-black, glossed with purple and green; a green speculum, succeeded by white tips of sec- 

 ondaries; primaries frosted on outer webs near end. Adult 9 : Little or no crest, but length- 

 ened feathers on nape ; no enlargement or special colorings of feathers about the wings. Bill 

 dusky ; feet yellowish-dusky. Head and neck gray, darker on crown, chin and parts about 

 bill and eyes white. Fore-neck, breast, and sides of body yellowish-brown, mottled with dark 

 gray ; breast spotted with brown ; belly white. Upper parts dark brown with considerable 

 gloss; wings much as in c?, but the velvety-black reduced. Length 18.00-20.00; e.xtent 

 about 28.00; wing 9.00; tail 4.50; bill 1.40; tarsus the same; middle toe and claw 2.00. 

 Temperate North America, but especially U. S., breeding nearly throughout its range, wintering 



Fig. G36. — Wood Duck, (From Teuney, after Audubon.) 



