THE SHOVELLER. 779 



niglitlv lieart-break among the bmoiling birds where minks and weasels, 

 skunks, rats, otters, badgers, cri}'otes, and racci:ii:ins are allowed to roam. Of 

 twentv-eight ducks' nests (of all species ) examined in this neighborhood, only 

 four remained unmolested at the close of our two weeks' stay. Oljviously, if we 

 are to protect our ducks, certain (itlier natural features must lie eliminated. 



No. 313. 



SHOVELLER. 



A. O. U. Xo. 142. Spatula clypeata (Linn.). 



Synonyms. — Spoonbili.. Spoox-bill Dlxk. Bro.\d-bill. 



Description. — Adult male: Head and neck sooty black, overlaid, especially 

 above, with glossy green and glancing metallic blue or purple; lower neck and 

 fore-breast pure white; lower breast, belly, and sides purplish chestiuU, the longer 

 side-feathers dusky-barred : back, narrowly, greenish dusky, becoming greenish 

 black on rump and behind, and glossy green on sides of upper tail-coverts; cris- 

 sum black, separated from belly anteriorly by white, finely undulated with dusky ; 

 white flank-patches ; inner scapulars white, and inner tertiaries white-striped ; 

 wing-coverts and outer webs of outer tertiaries light grayish blue ; the posterior 

 row of coverts greenish duskv at base, broadly white-tipped ; speculum glossy 

 green bounded on either side by dusky : primaries dusky ; axillars and lining of 

 wing white ; bill spatulate, the upper mandible much broader at tip than lower 

 and enclosing it : lamella: prominent, deep black ; feet orange-red : iris brown. 

 Adult female: Wings much as in male, but duller; scapulars like back and ter- 

 tiaries not striped ; upperparts, except head and neck, plain fuscous glossed pos- 

 teriorly with greenish ; remaining plumage buffy or huffy white, spotted with 

 brownish fuscous ; head and neck narrowly streaked with dusky ; lower breast 

 tinged with brownish; bill brown above, orange below. Voiing male: Like adult 

 female but colors heavier, and belly tingcfl with chestnut. Young female: Similar 

 to adult but wing-coverts dull slaty gray, only faintly tinged with bluish or green- 

 ish ; speculum not so extensively glossy green. Length 17.00-21.00 (431.8-533.4) ; 

 wing 9.00-10.00 (228.6-254); tail 3.00-3.50 (76.2-88.9); culmen 2.50-2.90 (63.5- 

 /^.~) ; breadth of bill near tip 1.20 (30.5) ; tarsus 1.50 (38.1 ). 



Recognition Marks. — Smaller than Mallard ; bill broadened at tip distinc- 

 tive ; male with white breast and rich chestnut belly. 



Nesting. — Xcst: on the ground in or near swamp, lined with weed-stalks and 

 grasses, or reeds. Eggs: 6-10, pale bluish or greenish gray. Av. size, 2.12 .\ 1.48 

 (53.9x37.6). Season: first week in June. 



General Range. — Xorthern hemisphere. In North America breeding from 

 Alaska to Texas ; not abundant on the .Atlantic Coast north of the Carolinas. 



Range in Washington. — Comnmn migrant and winter resident on Puget 

 Sound ; not uncommon migrant and suiumer resident east of the Cascade 

 ]\Iountains. 



Authorities. — Cooper and Sucklev, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. XIL ])t. 11. 

 i860, p. 255. T. C&S. Rh. Kk. 1!. E. 



Specimens.— L\ of W. Prov. P.. E. 



