KING- NECK DUCK. 89 



chestnut-red, upper portion?, and anal region black, becouiius brownish on wings. Secondaries, narrrowly tipped with 

 white. Speculum, pearly-gray. White beneatli, finely mottled throughout, and banded on sides and flanks.with lirown. 

 Chin, white. Bill, black, croRscd on upper mandible near tip with a line of blue, iris, orange, and feet, greenlsli-brown. ' 

 Adult female. The black is replaced with brown, the feat hers are edged with lighter and under wing coverts are ashy 

 otherwise similar to male. Younij. Similar to female, but more reddish above. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Known in all stages by the broad bill and gray speculum. Distributed, in summer, throughout the .tVrctic Regions; 

 wintering from the Carolinas, southward. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 xVvcrage measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 16-25; stretch, 27-1-2; wing, 7-G5; tail, 2-50; bill 

 1-82; tar.sus, 1-33. Longest specimen, IT'Od; greatest extent of wing, 23-2'); longest wing, 8-00; taii,b 70; bill, l-'oO; taraus' 

 l-jO. Shortest specimen, 15'5(); smallest extent of wing, 26-00; shortest wing, 7-30; tail, 8-25; bill, 1-75; tai-sus, 1-25. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, placed on the ground in marshy places, composed of grass, weeds, etc. Eijgs, from six to ten in numjjer, ellip- 

 tical in form, and ashy-green in color. Dimensions from 1-60x2-25 to 1-65x2-30. 



HABITS. 



The Ring-necked Ducks are occasionally found on the ponds and rivers of the North, 

 and I have found them not uncommon throughout the inland waters of the Soutli, quite to 

 Key West, but I never saw them abundant anywhere. They occur regularly, however, 

 in the West. They have similar habits to those of the preceding species but do not gath- 

 er in such large flocks, small companies being more frequently seen, and I have met witli 

 solitary individuals. These Ducks breed in the far North. 



FULIGULA FERINA. 

 Red-head. 



Ftdiyulaferina Box., Syn., 1828, 392. 

 DESCRIPTION. 

 Sp. Cii. Form, rather robust. Size, quite large. Bill, not very high at base, nor produced backward on forehead. 

 Color. Adult male. Ilead and neck, fjr more than half its length, brownish-red, glossed with violet. Reniainderof 

 neck, body in front of wing, lower back, and tail coverts, black. Back and under parts white, sj)r;nkled above and on sides 

 with black which about equals the white in proportion. Wing coverts, ashy sprinkled with whitish. Wings, brown. 

 Speculum, bluish-ash, tipped with whitish, and with upper feathers margined with black. Bill, tijiped with black, iris, 

 orange, and feet, liluish. Adult female. General color throughout, brown, with the feathers edged with pule yellowish. 

 The white markings above are faintly indicated, otherwise as in the male. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Easily recognized by theclearrcd head, grayspeculum, andshort,bluc bill which is not high at b.ase nor produced back 

 on forehead. Distributed, in summer, throughout the Arctic Regions. Winters from New Jersey to Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average me:usurements of .specimens from North America. Length, 20-00; stretch, 32-25; wing, 8-50; tail, 2-62; bill, 

 r87;tarsus, 1-62. Longestspecimen,2l'00; greatest extent of wing, 33-00; longest wing, 0-50; tail, 2-75; bill, 2-00; tarsus, 

 1-75. Shortest specimen, 190(1; smallest extent of wing, 31-50; shortest wing, 7-50; tail, 2-50; bill, 1-75; tarsus, 1-00. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, placed on the ground near the water, composed of sticks, weeds, etc. Eyijs, sis to ten in number, ellijitic.^.! in 

 form, and creamy-white in color. Dimensions from 1-65x2 20 to 1-75x2-30. 



HABITS. 



The Reil-heads arc not common in New England or in Florida, but as every one knows, 

 who is f;imiliar with sporting matters, occur in great numbers in the intermeditite section, 

 especially in Chesapeake B;iy and in the sounds of North Carolina, where they gather in 

 large flocks, and where they have similar habits to those of the succeeding species. 



FULIGULA VALLISIIEEIA. 



Cauvas-back Duek. 



Fuliffula vallisneria Box., List, !838. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si". Cn. Form, robust. Size, large. Bill, long and tapering, rather high at base, and produced back on forohcnd. 



Couiu. Adult male. Head and upper neck, chestnut-red, with top of former and region about bn.se of bill, dusky, lip 



