Biological Papers. 257 



to greenish black on back and sides; belly, chestnut; chest white, with white 

 extending around the collar at base and backward over the back in two wide 

 strips when wings are folded, inclosing a strip of dark; wing coverts barred 

 with white, rest light blue; speculum green; scapulars streaked with white, 

 black and blue; feet orange. Female mainly spotted and streaked with 

 dusky brown. 



At the beginning of the breeding season these two ducks are as pretty 

 a pair of water birds as are seen in the region. In flight, this bird resem- 

 bles that of the Blue-winged teal; in flavor, its flesh rivals the meat of the 

 teal. Though this bird often visited the "lagoon" at LaPush, I rarely 

 ever saw it in salt water, and then when compelled to resort thither. 



Nest and young: The nest is usually placed in a tuft of herbage near 

 some fresh water in a place difficult of access. It is composed of fine grass 

 and carefully lined with down from the female's breast. The eggs are 

 from 8 to 14 in number, and are a buffy white, tinged with green to olive- 

 greenish in color. 



Genus Dafila. 



143. Dafila acuta Linn. Pintail. Breeds in the region, also a migrant. 



Description: This is a long-necked bird with a sharp-pointed tail of 16 

 feathers. It is large of size. Its throat and under parts are white, also a 

 white patch extends from the white under part of the neck upward in a nar- 

 row stripe toward the crown almost on a line with the eye, but extends 

 only to the base of the crown; head not crested; purple glossy brown to 

 blackish in color; sides and upper parts wavy gray; wing slaty, with a line 

 of buff bordering the purple speculum. Female: Back and root of neck 

 above black, rest of plumage in general being colored in various shades of 

 brown; breast and belly being brownish white, interspersed with white; 

 back and wings mottled with black, brown and buflPy. Length of bird 

 about 30. 



Nest: The nest is well concealed. It is lined with grass and interlined 

 with feathers. The eggs are about 10 in number, and are of a greenish 

 olive buff, shading into a pale greenish color. 



Genus Aix. 



144. Aix sponsa Linn. (?) Wood duck. Said to visit the region occasion- 



ally, but was not seen by the writer. 



Genus Aythya. 



146. Aythya americana Eyt. Redhead. A visitant of the region. 



Description: This duck is readily distinguishable from the other ducks 

 on account of its whole head and neck being a bright reddish chestnut in 

 color. As a further description: The feathers at the base of the tail and 

 those of the tail are black; belly, chest and shoulders white; back gray, 

 streaked with ash and black; bill as long as head, dull blue in color, with a 

 black belt at end. Length of bird about 22. 



147. Aythya vallisneria Wils. Canvasback. Breeds in this region. 



Description: Head and neck rich chestnut brown to darker brown on 

 crown and face; back and sides light gray; belly grayish shading into 

 white; chest and shoulders black; tail gray; base of tail blackish. Length 

 of bird about 23. 



Subgenus Fuligula. 



148. Aythya marila Linn. Scaup duck: Blue-bill; Big Black-head; Broad- 



bill; shuffler. Resident and migrant. 



Description: Belly white; sides of belly light grayish; rest of plumage 

 black to black glossed with green on head; short, wide bill is tipped with 

 black, rest of bill blue. Female: Belly and region around base of bill 

 whitish; rest of plumage brownish in color. Male in nonbreeding season a 



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