A NA TIDJ-: — A NA TINjE : RI VER D UCKS. 



917 



above. Europe; Greenland; rare or casual along the whole Atlantic Coast ; more numerous on 

 the N. Paciiic coast and S. to California. Records since the 2d edition of the Key are : Forest 

 and Stream, xxv, 1886, p. 420, California; Auk, 1889, p. 04, Nova Scotia; p. .302, New 

 Jersey; 1890, p. 88, Virginia, p. 204, p. 28."}, each, Maryland ; Forest and Stream, xxxix, 1890, 

 p. .'J08, Nortli Candina; Auk, 1895, p. 179, p. 292, and 1890, p. 2.5.5, four cases, Indiana; 

 Orn. and Ool., vii, p. 133, Auburn, N. Y.; Forest and Stream, xlviii, 1897, p. 165, North Caro- 

 lina; Auk, .July, 1899, p. 270, Indiana. Nearly all obligingly furnished to me by Mr. Wil- 

 liam Dutchor. 



M. america'na. (Fig. 641.) American WiGEOX. Gueen-headed WiGEox. Wiiite- 

 HELLY. Bald-head. Bald-pate. Ball-face. Bald-crown. Smoking Duck. 

 Wheat Duck. Poacher. (As between the spellings widgeon and tvigeon, the former is 

 more frequent in this country and is preferred by such high antliority as the Century 

 Dictionary ; wigeon is 

 better English (de- 

 rived from Lat. vipio, 

 like ingeon from 

 pipio) and supported 

 by such great schol- 

 arship as that (if 

 Newton's Diction- 

 ary.) Adult ^ : Bill 

 grayish-blue, with 

 black tip and ex- 

 treme base ; feet sim- 

 ilar, duller, with 

 dusky webs and 

 claws ; iris brown. 

 Top of head white, 

 or nearly so ; sides 

 the same, or more 

 l)uffy, speckled with 

 dusky -green, purer 



green forming a broad patch from and below eye to liind head ; chin dusky. Fore neck and 

 breast light brownish-red, or very ))ale purplish-cinnamon, each feather with paler grayish 

 edge ; along sides of body the same, finely waved with dusky ; breast and belly pure white ; 

 crissum abruptly black. Lower hind neck, fore back, and scapulars finely waved with the 

 sam<; reddish color and with dusky ; lower back and rump similarly waved with dusky and 

 whitish. Lesser wing-coverts jdain gray; middle and greater coverts pure white, forming 

 a large area ; greater black-tipped, forming fore border of speculum, which is glossy green, 

 bordered behind by velvety black, internally by black and white stripes on inner secondaries. 

 Tail brownish-gray; lateral upiicr coverts black; axillary feathers white. Only old drakes 

 liave the crown immaculate white, chin dusky, and auricular patcli definitely green ; generally 

 the whole head and u|>per neck are pale brownish-ycllow or reddish-white, speckled with 

 greenish-dusky. 9 ■ Kcsembling immature ^ on head; the peculiar brownish-red is inter- 

 rupted with dusky and whitish bars; wiug-pattern nearly as in ^, but white is restricted or 

 interrupted with gray, greater coverts may lack black tips, speculum faint, and black .stripes 

 of inner secondaries replaced by brown. The normal variability in coloration, aside from age 

 or sex, is great, but the bird cannot be mistaken under any conditions ; the extensive white of 

 under ])arts and wings is recognizable at giin-sliot range. Length 18. 00-21. fK); extent 30.00- 

 3.").00; wing 10.0(J-11.00 ; tail 4.00-4.50; bill l..')0; tarsus 1.50; middle toe and claw more. 



Fio. (141. — .American Wigi;uii. iFrcjm Lewis.) 



