174 GAME BIBDS OF CALIFORNIA 



way, 1900, p. 105); folded wing 8.95 (227); bill along culmen 1.37 (34.8); 

 tarsus 1.62 (41.2) (one specimen, in Mailliard collection, from California). 

 Adult female: Whole of head, including moderately developed crest, and upper 

 neck, continuously dark brown; collar around neck white, interrupted behind 

 by light brown, continuous with color of back; bill conspicuously high at base, 

 narrow at tip, with large black nail, and mostly black with usually a yellow 

 patch across each mandible near tip; upper surface of body ashy brown, with 

 blackish feather centers; scapulars darker; rump dull black; tail ashy brown 

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

 slaty black; speculum pure white, bordered in front by a blackish bar formed 

 by the tips of the greater coverts which are otherwise white on their exposed 

 portions; many of lesser coverts also mottled with white; lining of wing and 

 axillars, blackish brown; broad band across breast ashy brown, conspicuously 

 outlined by the white collar above, and behind by the white on rest of lower 

 surface; sides and elongated flank feathers slaty brown, tipped with ashy; 

 under tail coverts pure white. Folded wing 8.25-8.65 inches (210-220 mm.) ; 

 bill along culmen 1.27-1.50 (32.2-38.1); tarsus 1.43-1.60 (36.3-40.6) (two 

 specimens from California and Alaska). Juvenile plumage: Not known to us. 

 Natal plumage: "Whole top of head, sides of head to level of bill, and hind 

 neck, uniform very dark brown; throat white; iris brownish; bill blackish, 

 tip of lower mandible flesh color; upper surface of body and sides, dark brown, 

 with paired white spots as follows: on hind margin of wing, on flanks, behind 

 wing, and at base of tail; whole lower surface white, with band across fore- 

 neck light brown; feet olive ochre. 



Marks for field identification — Similar to those for American Golden-eye 

 from which not readily distinguishable except at close range or in hand. Male 

 Barrow Golden-eye has white patch on cheek sharply triangular instead of 

 rounded, head glossed with steel-blue instead of green, scapulars spotted instead 

 of striped, black band across white wing patch, and bill deeper and narrower. 

 Female Barrow Golden-eye, as compared with the American, has head darker 

 brown, bill more goose-like and with yellowish band near tip, chest band darker, 

 white collar narrower, and white wing patch usually crossed by a dusky bar. 



Voice — No description found by us. 



Nest — In hollows in trees; built of grass, sticks and other debris, and 

 usually lined with white down. 



Eggs — 6 to 10, rounded oval in shape, measuring in inches, 2.40 to 2.60 by 1.60 

 to 1.85 (in millimeters, 61.0 to 66.0 by 40.6 to 47.0), and averaging 2.48 by 1.71 

 (63.0 by 43.4) (fifteen eggs); in color "grayish pea-green" or "bright sea- 

 green" (Brewer, 1879, pp. 151, 152). 



General distribution — Northern North America. Breeds from south-central 

 Alaska and northwestern Mackenzie south to southern Oregon and southern 

 Colorado; also from northern Ungava to central Quebec. Winters from south- 

 eastern Alaska, central Montana, the Great Lakes and Gulf of St. Lawrence 

 south to central California, southern Colorado, Nebraska and New England 

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



Distribution in California — Eare winter visitant to northern half of the 

 state. The following definite instances of occurrence are known: Gridley, 

 Butte County (Belding, MS); at or near (?) Nicasio, Marin County (Belding, 

 MS); Eoss Landing and Point San Pedro, Marin County shore of San Fran- 

 cisco Bay (J. Mailliard, 1904, p. 15); Stege, Contra Costa County (Mus. Vert. 

 Zool.); San Francisco markets (Henshaw, 1876, p. 274); San Francisco Bay 

 (Kobbe, in Bailey, 1902, p. xlix); San Francisco Bay near Eedwood City, San 

 Mateo County (Littlejohn, 1912, p. 41). 



