ENGLISH WIDGEON. 83 



on all but last, with dark-brown. Kemaintler of upper parts, dark-brown, fiuelj vandcd on buck witli yellowish-wliitc. 

 Outer webs of scapularies, velvety-black margined with wliiti-ili. Greater upper wiai; cjverts, ujd-jr parts, and flank-;, 

 white, the first tipped with hhick. Under wing coverts and lesser upper coverts, ashy. Speculum and under tail coverts, 

 black, tlie former ashy above and glossed anteriorly with greenish. Bill, bluish; feet, black, and iris, brown. 



Adull. female. Similar, but lacks the white crown and iridescence on head. The while of greater wing coverts is re- 

 placed by ashy and the barrings above are coarser. The under tail coverts are brown banded will: white, and the other 

 coliu-s are paler. Yvun/j. Resemble the adult female. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Known by the spotted head and neck and black and green speculum. Distributed in sununcr throughout tlie North 

 and North-west; wintering from New Jersey, southward. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 19-75; stretch,. "i-J-TS: wing, IOS.'j; tail,410; bill, 

 1'45; tarsus, 1'65. Longest specimen, 21'75; greatest extent of wing,35"50; longest wing, U'S.'J; tail, 4'iiO; hill, 1-50; tai-sus, 

 1-80. Short&st speehuen, 17'76; smallest extent of wing, 30'00; shortest wing, 9'50; tail, 4-()0; bill, 1'40; tarsus, I'.'JO. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nesls, placed on the ground in marsliy places, composed of sticks, weeds, etc. E(/(/s, six to ten in numt)or, elliptical 

 in form, and brownish-buff in color. Dimeasions from I'30x2-00 to r50x2'10. 



HABITS. 

 The American Widgeons are not very common throughout the northern portion of the 

 eastern section of Nortii America during migrations, but occur in considerable numl)ers in 

 the South in winter, and I have found tliem quite abundant in the mouths of the rivers that 

 flow into the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast of Florida. Here they occurred in flocks, 

 in company with the Scaup and other Ducks. They were, however, rather shy, when com- 

 pared with other members of the order, but did not differ in general habits from most of 

 the Ducks which inhabit rivers. 



MARECA PENELOPE. 

 English Widgeon. 

 Mareca pene/ope Bon., List; 1838. 

 DESCRIPTION. 

 Sp. Ch. Size, not very large. Form, robust. Color. Adult male. Top of head, yellowish-white. Sides of head 

 and neck all around, chestnut-red, spotted irregularly and sparcely with black, excepting in front, where the ground 

 color is nearly obscured with it, and the spots anmnd eye show greenish reflections. Back and side,«, dark-hrown, finely 

 banded with white. Upper tail coverts, whitish with ashy centers, the outer margined with black. Wings and tail, 

 dark-brown, the latter edged with wliite. Lesser wing cwerts, ashy; greater, white tipped witli black. Outer webs of 

 .scapularies, black, edged with white. Speculum, Iiiack with greenish reflections on anterior portion. Axillarios and un- 

 der wing coverts, ashy, banded with white. The upper breast and sides are chestnut-red tinged with ashy. The under 

 tail coverts are black. Remainder of under parts, white. Iris, brown ; bill and feet, bluish. 



Adult female. General color above, reddish-brown, with the feathers edged with wliitisli and centrally spotted witli 

 dark-brown. Speculum, gray, surrounded, excepting below, with white. The under tail coverts arc white, banded with 

 brown Otherwise similar to the adult male. 



0I3SERVATI0NS. 

 The male may be known by the chestnut-red head and black and green speculum. The female, by the gray speculum 

 and reddish-brown sides. Constant resident in Europe. Rare on the Eastern coast of the United States. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens. Length, 19'00; stretch, :13'50; wing, ID'OO; tail, 425; bill, 1'55; tirsus, 1'.56. 

 Longest specimen, 20 00; greatest extent of wing, 34-00; longest wing, l0-5il; tail, 450; bill, 1 HO; tarsus, 1-05. Shortest 

 specimen, 18 00; smallest extent of wing, 33-00; shortest wing, 9-50; tail, 400; bill, 1-50; tarsus, 1-53. 



DRSCRIPTIOX OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, placed on the groun<i inmarstiy places, composed of grass and weed-*. Ej/</s from five ttf eight in niiinlter, oval 

 in form, creamy-bull" in color. Dimensions from l'40x2"20 to 1-50x2-50. 



HABITS. 



The English Widgeon, a well-known European species, although formally considered 

 as only accidental on our eastern coast, is really a regular visitant, some being taken cv- 



