798 U. S. P. R. Rw EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
Female with the entire head, neck, and upper parts almost black. An elongated patch behind and below the eye, (not 
reaching it.) The outer webs of some secondaries, and the under parts, white; the jugulum, sides, and anal region, plumbeous 
gray. 
Length, 15; wing, 6.65; tarsus, 1.25; commissure, 1.44. 
The nostrils of this species are more posterior than in the two others described. 
The name bufile head is a corruption of buffalo head, under which name it is mentioned by 
Bartram, in 1791. 
€ 
Listes specimens, 
Catal.| Sex Locality. When Whence obtained. Orig. | Collected by— |Length.| Extent.| Wing. 
No. collected. No. 
312 fo | April 24, 1841 | 8. F. Baird 
1737| QO | Nov. 2, 1844 ]...... dOswanswgscece sre 
6094 ref | Selkirk settlement, H. B. T. De Guan iescccieleia'e 
6892) |e wees IN G\SONI IVEY Veg, Bcidraiarerants/c\siatereialaiaiey|aisieisielateleieieloistate'lieleleletsis Cane emodadcacagadd dane | fanaa. John Isbister .. 
4886 ..| Colorado Laguna, N. M..... eee eeee Maj. Emory 59 | A. Schott...... |e. 
9809 | 8t. Mary’s Mission, Rocky Mountains) Dec. 18, 1853 | (Gov. Stevens. .jscsercisencoes Dr. Suckley.... 
O36} eqpadiono Camp 119, Bill Williams’ Fork, N.M.| Feb., 1854...) Lieut. Whipple .........0+00- Kenn. & Moll. 
9844 | Boca Grande, MeX......504 eeeeee .| Mar., 1855...} Maj. Emory........ Dr. Kennerly .. 
OBIGH| 5 oee8. |sBodegartOalitrcsisitkelecaisicjesicad ioc'eies Dec., 1854. ,?} Lieut. Trowbndge.. T..A..Szabo....|.. 
Bilal Sete etete's's Presidio, near San Francisco, Cal...|....cseseseeseleceees Ovccceccerccccccscescce lessees [oe ce-cccccccees 
QB05 ideleclse Fort Steilacoom, W. T..... s.seeeee | Mar., 1854...| Gov. SteVens...ccescecseccces Dr. Suckley ... 
CWE: heeyéte 1 badd acaood ONccreenuccclecasiestrisicne| evecimeneccese| serrate AOce dover cleocasaioloat os cls'ci| (ut Shllincrstatets do... 
IBIS ejereletels|| on sta Ole vie vinte aiibin vlalslois's feiejsiaf«lsislal] civlecele'sieie ielelcrslethl ele einie dOvcvcce cocccesccersesei!) 40; |ilecees do. 
HiStRIONICUS, Lesson. 
Histrionicus, Lesson, Man. d’Ornith. II, 1828, 415. 
Clangula, Stern. Shaw’s Gen. Zool. XII, 1824. Not of Fleming, 1822. 
Cosmonetta, Kaur, Entw. Europ. Thierw. 1829. \ 
Phylaconetta, Branpt, Mem. Ac. St. Pet. VI, 1849. 
Cu.—Bill very small; the culmen shorter than tarsus, tapering rapidly to the rounded tip, which is entirely occupied by the 
A 
The lateral outline concave behind, the feathers on forehead 
Type Anas histrionica, L. 
nail. Nostrils small, in the anterior portion of posterior half of bill; the centre about opposite the middle of commissure. 
well marked angle at the postero-superior corner of the bill. 
extending a little beyond it; those of chin not reaching further than those of the sides, and much posterior to the nostrils. 
Lateral outline of edge of bill nearly straight. A membranous lobe at the base of the bill. Tertials bent outward, so as to 
cross the edge of the wing. Tail more than half the wing; considerably pointed ; of 14 feathers. 
This genus differs from Harelda in the more compressed, attenuated, and tapering bill; the 
lateral outline straighter. The feathers of the sides of head and on chin do not extend so far 
The tertials are bent outwards, and the tail, though pointed, lacks the elongation of 
The two, however, might, with 
forward. 
the middle feathers. 
great propriety, be combined in the same genus. 
The membranous lobe at the base of the bill is, as far as I know, peculiar among American 
ducks. This overhangs the basal portion of the commissure, and is an extension of the skin 
of the cheeks near the base of the bill. 
The characters of the single species are as follows: 
The coloration is entirely different. 
Bluish ; the under parts mostly dull brownish. Two white spots on side of neck, two on 
wings, and one on each side of the root of tail. Scapulars and tertials in part white ; 
secondaries with a violet blue speculum. Sides of crown, and of body behind, chestnut. 
‘Anside of wings and axillars dark DrOWNi.-..:..0.cococcocecscosceseotesctsasscvsevcnscescree sells LOTGUCHUM 
