90 WATER FOWL. 



full-plumaged male Wood Duck, proudly swimming 

 along, his lengthened crest slightly elevated, and the sun 

 glancing upon the brilliant plumage with the metallic 

 hues of green, violet, and purple scintillating in its rays. 

 It seems to me that this beautiful bird has become 

 scarcer in the past few years, and fewer return to well- 

 known haunts. The beauty of the male makes him a 

 desirable specimen for collectors, and the flank feathers 

 are eagerly sought by the makers of artificial flies, while 

 its flesh is always acceptable to the gourmands. Alto- 

 gether, with so many suitors of various kinds, each de- 

 siring the bird for his own especial purpose, the Wood 

 Duck's chance for becoming extinct is a very good one. 



^X S PONS A. 



Geographical Distribution. — Hudson Ba}'' to Gulf of Mexico, 

 and across the Continent within the above limits; Cuba. Acci- 

 dental in Europe. 



Adult Male. — Head, with a full, lengthened crest, almost 

 reaching the back, of green, purple, and violet metallic hues. 

 A narrow white line starts at the angle of the maxilla, passes 

 over the eye, and extends to the end of the crest, widening 

 slightly as it goes. Another broader white line commences 

 below and behind the eye, and is continued along the lower edge 

 of the crest. Behind the eye, and extending for some distance 

 above the lower white line, is a broad patch of metallic purple. 

 Cheeks and sides of neck, violaceous black. Crest, silky in tex- 

 ture of various metallic greens and purples. Throat and front of 

 neck, pure white, with two falcate branches; the upper across the 

 back part of cheek, to behind and nearly reaching the eye; the 

 lower across the neck, going upward and beneath the crest 

 almost to the nape. Back, dark brown, glossed with green- 

 ish bronze, the lower back and rump darker in hue, and 

 grading into black on the upper tail coverts. Lesser wing 

 coverts, slate brown, with a greenish gloss. Scapulars and 

 tertials, velvety black, with rich metallic blue, green, and purple 

 reflections, and the longest tertial is tipped with a white bar. 



