928 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — LAMELLIROSTRES — ANSERES. 



CLAN'GULA. (Lat. elangula. dim. of clangor, a noise : applied to the Garret, the leading spe- 

 cies of this genus, by Gesuer, 1555.) Garrots. Bill much shorter than head, about as long 

 as tarsus, very high at base, tapering to end, with definite narrow nail, and acute upper cor- 

 ners; frontal and mental feathers little in advance of loral. Nostrils median. Tail about half 

 as long as wing, 16-feathered, pointed. Body plump; neck short; feet far back. $ with 

 bead puffy or slightly crested, dark-colored, iridescent, with great white patches ; lower neck 

 all around, uuder parts including sides, and most of the wing-coverts, scapulars, and second- 

 aries, white; lining of wings dark; most of upper parts black; no waving on back or sides; 

 crissura not black ; bill dark ; feet light or bright. 9 with less puffy dark brown or gray head, 

 and traces or not of white patches. Medium-sized and small Ducks, mostly black and white. 

 They include two types of at least subgeneric value; one (Clangula proper) represented by 

 the Garrots, the other (Charitonetta) by the Buffle-head. A well-marked genus, whose name 

 Clangula has come down to us from the heroic age of ornithology, as that of its leading species, 

 and was formally installed as the generic designation " ex Gesner " by W. E. Leach in Ross' 

 Voyage, 1819, App. p. xlviii, type Anas clangula Linn. (Clangula of former editions of the 

 Key, and of most authors; " Glaucionetta" (based on the identical type A. clangula!) Stej. 

 Pr. U. S. N. M. viii, 1885, p. 409; A. 0. U. Lists, 1886-95; Clangula, A. 0. U. SuppL 

 List. Auk, Jan. 1897, p. 125. Cf. Count Salvador!, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii, 1895, p. 376. 



Analysis of Species. 



Nostrils rather before middle of bill, (f head uniformly puffy, the gloss green ; a round or oval white spot before 

 eye, not reaching upper corner of bill ; white of wings continuous ; lining of wings entirely dark ; eye yellow ; feet 

 orange. 9 head dark brown, unmarked. (Clangula proper.) clangula americana 



Nostrils as before, cf head somewhat crested, the gloss purple and violet ; an angular or crescentic white space 

 before eye, applied against whole base of bill ; white of wings divided by a dark line ; lining of wings entirely 

 dark ; eye yellow ; feet orange. $ head dark brown, unmarked islandica 



Nostrils rather behind middle of bill, cf Iiead extremely puffy, the gloss various. No white before eye, but great 

 white space on side of head behind, meeting its fellow on nape ; white of wing continuous ; lining of wing with 

 some white ; eye brown ; feet flesh-color ; $ head dark gray, with trace of white auricular patch. (Char Hone //a.} 



albeola 



(Subgenus Clangula.) 



C. clan'gula america'na. (Fig. 649.) American Garrot. American MoRiLLON. Amer- 

 ican Golden-eye. American Whistler. Whistle Duck. Whistle-w^ing. Brass- 

 eyed Whistler. Whiffler. Jingler. Merry-wing. Great-head. Bull-head. 

 Iron-head. Copperhead. Cub-head or Cob-head. Cur (Curre). Bill with nostrils 

 rather before than behind its middle line. Head moderately uniformly puflpy. Adult ^ : Gloss 

 of head chieHy green. A large round or oval spot before eye, not touching base of bill through- 

 out ; no white behind eye. Bill black, or greeiiish-du.sky. Iris golden-yellow. Feet orange, 

 with dusky webs and black claws. Lower neck, under parts at large, middle and greater 

 wing-coverts, many secondaries, and shorter scapulars in part, white, that of wings perfectly 

 continuous. Shorter scapulars in part, long scapulars, inner and outer secondaries, edge of 

 wing, primary coverts, primaries, and back at large, black, the latter glossy. Lining of 

 wings dusky, as are some feathers at insertion of legs and on sides of rump. The white 

 greater coverts have dark bases, not extensive enough, however, to divide the white wing- 

 surface by a dark bar, as in C. islandica. Tail ashy. Young ^ resembles adult ? , but has 

 white spot before eye more or less indicated, and gray of chest lessened. Adult 9 : Bill, eyes, 

 and feet as in ^, but former usually varied with yellowish at end. Head less puffy, snuffy- 

 brown, without white loral space. White collar on neck. Black parts of ^ inclining to 

 brownish ; feathers of upper back with bluish-gray edgings ; upper tail-coverts tipped with 

 pale brown ; white of wings less extensive and complete, often waved with gray tips of 

 some of the coverts; white of under parts often waved with gray or brown on lower neck 

 and along sides. Various imperfect plumages range between or combine those of adult 



