786 



U, S. p. R. R EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



Sp. Ch. — Head and crest metallic green to below the eyes ; the cheeks and a stripe from behind the eye purplish. A narrow 

 short line from the upper angle of the bill along the side of the crown and through the crest, another on the upper eyelid, a 

 stripe starting behind and below the eye, and running into the crest parallel with the first mentioned, the chin and upper part 

 of the throat, sending a well defined branch up towards the eye and anotlier towards the nape, snowy white. Lower neck and 

 juguluin, and sides of the base of tail, rich purple; the jugnlum with triangular spots of white and a chestnut shade. 

 Remaining under parts white, as is a crescent in front of the wing bordered behind by black. Sides yellowish gray, finely lined 

 with black ; the long feathers of the flanks broadly black at the end, with a sub-terminal bar, and sometimes a tip of white. 

 Back and neck above nearly uniform bronzed green and purple. Scapulars and innermost tertials velvet black, glossed on the 

 inner webs with violet ; the latter with a white bar at the end. Greater coverts violet, succeeded by a greenish speculum, 

 tipped with white. Primaries silvery white externally towards the end ; tiie tips internally violet and purple. 



Female with the wings quite similar ; the back more purplish ; the sides of the head and neck ashy ; the region round the 

 base of the bill, a patch through the eyes, and the chin, white. The purple of the jugulum replaced by brownish. The waved 

 feathers on the sides wanting. Length, 19 inches ; wing, 9.50 ; tarsus, 1.40 ; commissure, 1.54. 



Hab. — Continent of North America. 



List of specimens. 



Sub-Family FULIGULINAE. 



The chief character of the Fuligulinae, as compared with the Anatinae, consists in the greatly 

 developed lobe or membranous flap attached to or suspended from the inferior surface of the hind 

 toe. The feet are usually enormously large, the tarsi short, the legs set far back, and the 

 whole organization well fitted for swimming and diving. Many of the species live on or near 

 the seacoast, although most of them straggle more or less through the interior of the countries 

 they inhabit. The different North American forms may be arranged as follows : 



A. Bill with the feathers of the forehead extending forward as a short obtuse angle, those of 



the sides as a crescent, giving rise to an acute basal process of the bill laterally and superiorly 



on each side, which extend back as far as the angle of the mouth. The feathers of the chin, 



cheeks, and forehead extending about opposite to the same point ; the former usually furthest. 



a. Nail at the end of the bill small, narrow, and forming only a central part of the tip ; 



distinct. 



FiTLix. — Bill longer than the head and tarsus ; about equal to the inner toe and 

 claw ; long, broad, and the sides parallel to the end, or widening. Nostrils in 

 the basal two-fifths of the bill. Tail short, rounded, scarcely more than one- 

 third the wing. Body black anterior to the shoulder and posterior to the tibia. 

 Head and neck black or red. Sides and back mottled or waved with black and 

 white. Axillars and inside of wing white. 

 Aythya. — Similar to the last. The bill longer and narrower, exceeding the 

 inner toe ; the nostrils more anterior, close to the middle. Colors like the last, 

 with reddish head. 



