926 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— LAMELLIROSTRES — ANSERES. 



cheeks, chin, and behind eye ; upper parts brownish, the feathers paler edged ; breast and 

 sides brownish. Wings much as in $ ; white lining restricted. Length 20.00-23.00; extent 

 about 33.00; wing 9.00-10.00; tail 3.00, of 14 feathers; tarsus 1.50; middle toe and claw 

 2.75 ; greatest width of bill 0.87 or less. North America at large, but particularly E. of the 



Rocky Mts. ; breeds 

 from Michigan, Mis- 

 souri, Nebraska, 

 Utah, Nevada, and 

 California N. to the 

 fur countries, most 

 abundantly in British 

 America ; one Maine 

 breeding r e c o r d ; 

 winters from U. S. to 

 the West Indies and 

 Mexico. One of the 

 commonest market 

 Ducks in eastern 

 cities in winter, sell- 

 ing readily for Can- 

 vas-back, and more 

 likely to be distin- 

 guished therefrom 

 with the feathers on 

 than oflF! Nest of 



this slongh-breeding duck on ground near water, or among reeds over water like a Coot's, often 

 bulky and well made, lined with more or less down ; eggs 7-10 or more, even to a baker's 

 dozen and over, 2.30-2.45 X 1.65-1.75, buff with an olive or drab tinge, or light buff; shell 

 smooth, hard, thick. 

 The names Red-head 

 and Gray-back, ap- 

 plied to this species, 

 are goodly distinctive 

 from the darker- 

 headed and whiter- 

 backed Canvas-back. 

 The name " Wash- 

 ington Canvas-back " 

 which Mr. Gurdon 

 Trumbull quotes with 

 relish from Cones and 

 Prentiss' Avifauna 

 Columbiana, is sim- 

 ply a political witti- 

 cism of the latter au- 

 thors, who say that it 

 is at the Capital '' one 

 of the commonest Fig. C47. - Canvas-backs. (From Lewis.) 



market Ducks, passing about half the time for Canvas-back, and equally available for promot- 

 ing Congressional legislation." (Fuligiila ferina aviericana, of 2d-4th eds. of the Key.) 



