16S GAME BIBDS OF CALIFOENIA 



23.00" inches (470-584 mm.) (Ridgway, 1900, p. 105); folded wing 9.12 (232); 

 bill along culmen 1.45 (36.8); tarsus 1.58 (40.2) (one specimen from Alaska). 

 Adult female: Whole head, including moderately developed crest, and hind 

 neck continuously light brown (no circular white spot at base of bill) ; bill 

 with parallel edges, symmetrically rounded at tip, and ' ' dusky, " " dull yellow- 

 ish orange" toward ends of both mandibles (Audubon, loc. cit.); broad collar 

 around fore neck, white, incomplete behind; upper surface of body ashy 

 brown, the feathers with blackish centers; rump black; tail ashy brown both 

 above and below; outer surface of closed wing including flight feathers slaty 

 black, many of the lesser and middle coverts with white tippings; secondaries 

 and broad ends of greater coverts (including speculum) pure white; under 

 surface of wing and axillars blackish brown; band across breast ashy gray, 

 conspicuously outlined above by a wdiite collar, and behind by the w^hite of 

 rest of under surface; sides and elongated flank feathers slate brown, nar- 

 rowly tipped with white. Total length "about 16.50" inches (418 mm.) 

 (Ridgway, loc. cit.); folded wing 8.12 (206); bill along culmen 1.28 (32.5); 

 tarsus 1.37 (34.8) (one specimen from California). Juvenile plumage: Male: 

 Like that of adult female but has white spot before eye more or less indicated, 

 while gray band across chest is less conspicuous (authors). Natal plumage: 

 Whole top of head to level of bill, and hind neck, very dark brown; throat 

 white; back and sides dark brown, with paired spots of grayish white as 

 follows: on hind margin of wing, behind wing, on flank, and at base of tail; 

 W'hole lower surface of body white; band across foreneck light brown; iris 

 brownish; bill blackish, tip of lower mandible flesh-color; feet olive ochre. 



Marks for field identification — Medium size, stocky build, yellow eye, 

 fluffy head, and notable whistling sound produced by wings in flight. Male: 

 Black and white plumage, and conspicuous rounded white spot on side of 

 head at base of bill. Female: Combination of general characters given above 

 together with white speculum, abruptly and solidly brown head, and white 

 collar, separate her from other ducks except the Barrow Golden-eye. From 

 the female of the latter she differs slightly by paler head, shallower and 

 broader bill at tip, lack of yellowish band across bill near tip, light band 

 across chest, and lack of blackish bar across white of wing. 



Voice — Of male: In courting, a short flat vibrant paaap (Brewster, 1911, 

 p. 25). Of female: When startled or lost a sharp cur-r-rcir ; in nesting season 

 (at least) a low pitched quack (Eaton, 1910, pp. 209-210; and authors). 



Nest — In cavities in trees over water; a lining of down on the residual 

 rotten wood or other debris. 



Eggs — 5 to 15, or more, rounded-oval in shape, measuring in inches 2.30 to 

 2.55 by 1.70 to 1.78 (in millimeters, 58.4 to 64.7 by 43.2 to 45.2); color ashy 

 green; thin-shelled with a glossy surface (measurements from Da\'ie, 1889, 

 p. 71). 



General distribution — North America. Breeds from southern British 

 Columbia, southern Montana, northern North Dakota and northern New 

 England north to central Alaska, central Keewatin and Newfoundland; winters 

 chiefly in the United States from Utah, Nebraska, Minnesota and Maine 

 south to southern California, central Mexico and Florida (modified from A. 

 O. U. Check-list, 1910, p. 76). 



Distribution in California — Fairly common winter visitant, chiefly in the 

 northern half of the state; most numerous on coastal bays and salt marshes, 

 occasionally straggling to the interior. Several instances of occurrence in 

 southern California (Willett, 1912a, p. 25), the southernmost being at San 



