FIXG-NECEED DUCK 165 



Nest — In grass of marsh land, over or near water; niaile of grass stems and 

 sparingly lined with down. 



Eggs — 6 to 12, elliptical in shape, measuring in inches 2.25 to 2.30 by 1.60 to 

 1.65 (in millimeters, 57.2 to 58.3 by 40.6 to 41.8) (Davie, 1889, p. 70); color 

 varying from greenish or grayish white to buff. 



General distribution — North America. Breeds from North Dakota and 

 Minnesota north to Athabasca Lake, and less abun<lantly west of the Rockies 

 from Lassen County, California, to southern British Columbia. Winters from 

 southern British Columbia, northern Texas and New Jersey south to Porto 

 Rico and Guatemala (modified from A. O. U. Check-list, 1910, p. 75). 



Distribution in California — Rather rare winter visitant, mainly in the west- 

 central and southern parts of the state, and chiefly on fresh water. Southernmost 

 record station: San Diego (Belding, MS). One breeding record: Eagle Lake, 

 Lassen County (Sheldon, 1907, p. 187). 



The Ring-necked or Ring-])ill Dnok is the rarest of the Redhead- 

 Canva-sbaek-Scaup group occurring in California. Because of this fact 

 ornithologists have taken especial interest in reporting instances of its 

 occurrence, with the result that there are now more than fifteen 

 definite records. It has been taken at least four times on San Fran- 

 cisco Bay and there are other records from west-central California. 

 It has been found at Eagle Lake, Lassen County, and at Lake Tahoe 

 and also at several places in southern California, even as far south 

 as San Diego. Belding (MS) states that in his experience the Ring- 

 necked Duck was a winter visitor "in unknown quantity" south to 

 San Diego and that it was a fairly common species in central Cali- 

 fornia where he shot specimens repeatedly and saw it in the markets. 

 As an instance of unusual occurrence, W. K. Fisher (1904, p. 25) 

 secured a specimen from the ridge back of Black Mountain, nine miles 

 west of Stanford University, on November 26, 1903. The species 

 seems to prefer the vicinity of fresh water, in this state at least. Its 

 principal winter home is the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida where 

 it is said to be the most abundant duck present (Cooke, 1906, p. 48). 



In general appearance the Ring-necked Duck resembles the Scaups. 

 However, the speculum is bluish gray rather than white, and in the 

 male the back is black and the white of the under surface extends 

 upAvards on each side to form a crescent-shaped bar in front of the 

 wing. At close range, or in hand, the male may be known by the 

 narrower bill, dark in color and with a light cross band near the end, 

 by the light chestnutcolored collar, and the triangular spot of white 

 on the chin. Females have white around the base of the bill as does 

 the same sex in the Scaups ; but the Ring-neck has this white less 

 sharply restricted, the chin and throat are continuously whitish, the 

 back is darker, the brown sides and flanks lack undulated markings, 

 and the lower surface of the body is less whitish. The female Ring- 

 neck can be distinguished from the female Redhead by smaller size, 

 darker body color, whiter throat and narrower bill. 



