

gg SPATULA CLYPEATA. 



SPATULA CLYPEATA. 

 Shoveller Duck. 



Spatula clypeata BoiE., Isis; 18^2, 5f)4. 

 DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, rather rfender. Size, not very large. Color. Adult male. Head and upper neck, green witli violet 

 and bluish reflections. Remainder of neck, upper breast, sides of back, tips of greater vifing coverts, and under wing cov- 

 erts, white. Back and upper tail coverts, brown, with the feathers edged witli lighter and glos.sed with greenish, especi- 

 ally on the upper tail coverts, where the tints are darker. Tail, white, centrally streaked with brown. Under tail coverts, 

 black, with green and violet reflections. The under parts not described, rich dark-chestnut, becoming lighter on the sides, 

 flanks, aad tibia, where the feathers are finely barred and spotted with black. Tertiaries, black on outer webs, streaked 

 with white on inner, and edged with blue on two lower feathers. Wing coverts, blue tipped with white. Speculum, green, 

 glossed with violet. Bill, black, iris, yellow, and feet, bright orange. 



Adult female. General color throughout, pale yellowish with every feather streaked, spotted, and banded with dark- 

 brown, the latter color predominating above. Wings as in the male, but the .speculum is not as prominent and the blue 

 of the coverts is edged and spotted with yellowish-rufous. The under wing coverts are white. Young. Similar to adult 

 female. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Easily recognized by the broad bill, blue wing coverts, and green speculum. Immature males present all grailations 

 in plumage between young and adult. Distributed, in summer, from Texas to Alaska. Winters in the South. Not com- 

 mon in New England. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 19-50; stretch, 31'00; wing, 8'75; tail,- 3-40; bill, 

 S-45; tarsus, 1-.55. Longestspecimen,20"00; greatest extent of wing,3i!"00; longest wing, 9'50; tail, 3-75; bill.a-fiO; tarsus, 

 1-60. Shortest specimen, 19-0(1; smallest extent of wing, 30-00; shortest wing, 8-00; tail, 3-00; bill, 2-50; tarsus, 150. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS x\ND EG US. 

 Nests, placed on the ground near the water, compo.sed of sticks, weeds, etc. E(/ys, sis to ten in number, elliptical in 

 form, and pale ashy-green in color. Dimensions from 1-45x2-05 to 1-50x2-10. 



HABITS. 

 The Shovellers, although quite common in the West, are exceedingly rare in New Eng- 

 land, hut I found them very abundant in the shallow pools on the marshes of Salt Lake and 

 Indian River, Florida. Here they fed in little groups, and a3 they were quite unsuspi- 

 cious, could be easily approached and shot. I have also taken specimens at Key West in 

 winter. These fine Ducks may possibly breed in Florida, as I have found them common 

 there quite late in the season. 



GENUS X. AIX. THE ARBOREAL DUCKS. 



Gen. Cii. Bill, narrow, rather hiyh at base, and pointed at tip. Head, crested. Neck, not very short. Maryina! in- 

 dentations, open. 



Trachea, not dilated, and the larynx in the male is expanded, and provided with a bony frame-work. Stomach, mus- 

 cular. Tail feathers, slightly lengthened. Eyes, large. Sexes, not similar. There is but one species within our limits. 



AIX SPONSA. 

 Wood Duck. 



Aix sponsa Boie. , Isis; 1828, 329. 

 DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cd. Form, slender. Size, medium. Color. Adult male. Top and .sides of head, green glossed with violet and 

 purplish. Narrow line over eye extending down on nape, also one below and back of eye, throat, and upper neck below en- 

 croaching on dark color above in two triangular patches, white. Above dark-brown glossed with violet and purple. Tip.s 

 of secondaries, white. Outer edges of primaries, hoary. Lower neck and breast, chestnut-red tinged with purplish, dark- 

 est above, and marked anteriorly with triangular shaped spots of creamy. Crescent in front of wing, and under parts, 

 white, becoming yellowish on sides which are finely banded with dark-brown, and marked posteriorly with coarser bands 

 of black and white. The under wing coverts are spotted with brown. There is a spot of purplish tipped witli lighter on 

 ilanks, and a patch of black, back of white crescent on sides. The under tail coverts are brown glos-ed with green. Bill, 

 brcjwn, pur])lish at base, with a V-shaped patch of white on upper mandible. Iris, rtib^'-red, and feet, brown. 



