371 



MARECA AMERICANA (Stephens). 



THE AMERICAN WIDGEON : BALDPATE. 



Specific Character. — Forehead and middle of crown, (longitudinally) white, 

 generally immaculate ; ground colour of head and neck, white, sometimes more or 

 less soiled with grayish or brown and thickly speckled with black ; a broad space 

 of metallic blackish green on the side of the occiput running forward to the eye 

 and sometimes down the nape, where the two spaces are confluent ; jugulum plain 

 pinkish vinaceous; sides and flanks the same delicately undulated with black; 

 lower tail coverts velvety black ; rest of the lower parts pure white; back and 

 scapulars grayish white more or less tinged with the colour of the sides and similar- 

 ly undulated with black. Wing coverts immaculate pure white, the anterior por- 

 tion of the lesser covert region cinereous, and the last row tipped with velvety 

 black ; speculum soft metallic green anteriorly, velvety black posteriorly ; tertials, 

 velvety black sharply edged with white, the lower one with its lower edge en- 

 tirely pure white ; primaries plain dark cinereous. Rump cinereous minutely 

 undulated on the edges of the feathers ; upper tail coverts velvety black the inner 

 webs mostly grayish ; tail hoary cinereous ; bill light grayish blue, the tip black ; 

 iris brown; legs and feet, light bluish. The female is in general colour dusky 

 grayish above and white beneath. 



Total length 20 to 22 inches; wing, 10.25; culmen, 1.30; tarsus, 1.50; 

 middle toe, 1.65. 



Habitat. — North America in general, north to the Arctic Ocean, south to 

 Guatemala and Cuba. Accidental in Europe. Breeds nearly throughout its 

 range. The Baldpate is quite a common duck throughout Ontario, in the autumn 

 frequenting all suitable waters or marshes, and leaving them early to go south, 

 earlier than some other species. On the sea-coast it associates with the Canvas- 

 back and Bluebill upon whose ability to dive better than itself, it depends largely 

 for its food, stealing from them as they rise to the surface of the water the tender 

 roots of the wild celery and other plants of which both are so fond. This bird is 

 said to be quite as good eating as the Canvasback. It nests on the dry ground 

 near some water, laying some 8 to 12 eggs of a creamy white colour. 



