920 



5 YS TEMA TIC S YNOPSIS. — LAMELLIR OS TRES — A NSERES. 



abuiulaiitly in N. Dakota; abundant in the U. S. southerly in winter and at large during the 

 migrations; casual in Europe. Nest on the ground, of weeds, grass, and down; eggs 8-JO or 

 more, 1.75-1.90 X 1.30-1.40, pale buffer creamy. They are indistinguishable from those of 

 the European Garganey, of which our bird is the American representative, and probably not 

 to be told apart witli certainty from those of the Green-wing ; but it is said that the down 

 lining the Garganey nest has white tips, lacking in the case of iV. crecca, and very likely there 

 is the same difference in our Blue-wing and Green-wing down. 



Q. cyano'ptera. (Gr. Kvavos, Jcuanos, blue ; rrrepov, pteron, wing.) CINNAMON Teal. Adult 

 (J : Bill black ; feet orange, joints and webs dusky ; iris orange. Head, neck, and entire 

 under parts rich purplish-chestnut, darkening on crown and chin, blackening on middle of 

 belly; crissum dark brown. Fore back lighter cinnamon, varied with brown curved bars, 

 several on each feather; lower baclv and rump greenish-brown, the feathers edged with paler. 

 Wing-coverts sky-blue, as in discors; some of the scapulars blue on outer webs and with a 

 central buff stripe, others dark green with buff stripe. Speculum green, set between white tips 

 of greater coverts and white ends of secondaries. Wing thus quite as in discors, but body-colors 

 and head entirely different ; rather larger ; length 16.00-17.00; extent 25.00; wing 7.50-8.00; 

 bill i.60-1.75, along commissure about 2.00. Adult 9- Similar to 9 discors, and not easy to 

 distinguish ; larger ; bill longer ; under parts at least with a tinge of the peculiar chestnut color ; 

 head and especially chin more speckled, without the immaculate whitish of those parts of 9 

 discors. Bill dusky, paler below and along edges ; iris brown ; feet yelloM'ish-drab. A gen- 

 erally distributed South American Teal, abundant in U. S. west of the Rocky Mts., and of 

 casual occurrence in the Gulf States, Texas to Florida; Illinois; Nebraska; British Colum- 

 bia. Nest on ground, of grass and feathers, nearly anywhere in its U. S. range; Colorado, 

 Utah, Nevada, California, Idaho, Oregon, etc. Eggs 8-14, laid in June, oval, one end smaller 

 than other, creamy or pale buff; 1.90 X 1-30 to 2.10 X 1-40. 



Subfamily FULICULIN/E: Sea Ducks. 



Tarsi scutellate in front ; hind 

 toe lobate. The large membranous 

 flap depending from the hind toe 

 distinguishes this group from the 

 preceding, probably without excep- 

 tion. While the general form is the 

 same as that of Anatince, tlie feet 

 are notably larger, with relatively 

 shorter tarsi, longer toes (outer 

 scarcely or not shorter than mid- 

 dle), and broader webs; they are 

 also placed somewhat farther back, 

 in consequence of w^iich the gait is 

 still more awkward and constrained than the "waddle" of ordinary Ducks; but swimming 

 powers are enhanced, and diving is facilitated. A large number of the species are exclusively 

 maritime, but this is no more the case with all of them than is the reverse with the River 

 Ducks. These birds feed more upon mollusks and other animal substances (not, however, 

 upon fish, like Mergansers) than River Ducks do, and their flesh, as a rule, is coarser, if not 

 entirely too rank to be eaten ; there are, however, signal exceptions to this, as in the case of 

 the Canvas-back. The sexes are unlike, as among Anatince; and besides the difference in 

 ■color, the 9 is often distinguished by absence or slight development of certain tuberosities of 

 bill that the ^ of several species, as of Scoters and Eiders, possesses. The tracheal tympanum 



Flo. 643. — Canvas-back 

 Xewis.) 



Red-head. (From 



