VELVET DUCK. qj 



CEDEMIA PUSCA. 



Velvet Duck. 



(Edemiafusca Sw., F. Bor. Am, II; 1831, 449. 



DESCRIFi'ION. 



Sf. Cn. Form, robust. Size, very large. Bill, long. Color. Adult male. Black throughout, with an eloncatcd 

 patch around eye and large speculum, white. Bill, red, Iilack at base and ou edge.s, iri.s, yellow, and foet, reddish-brown. 

 Adult female. Brown throughout, darkest on back. Circular space at base of bill, elongated patcli back of ear, and un- 

 der parts, whitish, tlie latter mottled with dusky. Speculum, white. Bill, black. Youny. Similar to adult female. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known by the dark colors and white speculum. Distributed in summer from Labrador, northward; wintering from 

 Massachusett'! to the Carolinas. 



DLMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 20(58; stretch, 37-1)0; wing, U-OO, tail. 

 342; bill, 1'48; tarsus, 1-70. Longest specimen, 21'60; greatest extent of wing, 39-75; longest wing, 11-50; tail, 3 60: bill 

 1-55; tarsus, 1-90. Shortest specimen, 19-75; smallest extent of wing, 35-25; shortest wing, 10-50; tail, 3-25; hill, 1'40- tar- 

 sus, 1-50. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Ncsls, placed on the ground near the water, composed of sticks, weeds, down, etc. F.(jgs,^\^ to ten in numher, oval in 

 form, and dirty-<;reamy in color. Dimensions from 1-80x2-60 to r85x2-65. 



HABITS. 



Anionic the most abundant of the order on our coa.st, are the Velvet Ducks, or Whito- 

 winged Coots as they are called by sportsmen. They are much hunted, more for the ex- 

 citement of the sport, however, than because of their value, for as they are nearly worth- 

 less for culinary purposes, the prices which they bring in the markets, will scarcely pay 

 for the ainmunition expended in killing them. As related, these birds fly into the mouths 

 of rivers to feed and the gunners taking advantage of this fact, range themselves along the 

 channel in the mouth of some stream, in boats, in order to shoot the birds as they fly past. 

 This piistime, although exciting, especially when the birds fly thick, is not unattended 

 with some risk to life, for as the men are obliged to pull up the anclior and row after the 

 birds that fall, there is danger of being swept out to sea with the swiftly flowing, out-going 

 tide which, at the mouths of some of our rivers, rushes seaward with a force, again.st which 

 the powers of man often prove unequal, especially when a strong wind is blowing witli tlic 

 current. I have witnessed some hair-breadths escapes and was once fortunate enou"li to 

 pick uj) a man who had lost control of his skiff, just as he was being swept into the break- 

 ers. Then, aitliough we had only gone about two hundred yards from our anchorage to 

 accomplish this, three of us were obliged to labor at the oars for two hours, before we re- 

 gained the lost ground. 



GENUS XVI. ERISMATURA. THE STIFF-TAILED DUCKS. 



Gen-. Cn. Bill, shorter than head, rather hiijh at base, broad at tip, and xliyhtty bent upward. Tail, stiffened, with cov- 

 erts, short. Neck, short. 



The trachea is slightly dilated near the middle hut the larynx is without special expansion. The stomach is muscu- 

 lar. Sexes, not similar. There ia but one species within our limits. 



ERISMATURA RUBIDA. 



Ruddy Duck. 



F.rismaiura rubida Bos. LLst, 1838. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Cn. Form, rather robust. Size, not large. Top of head and nape, black. Sides of head lielow eyes and chin, 



white. Neck all anmnd, upper parts, and flanks, cliestnutred. Beneath, grayish-white, tinged with bmwn and trana- 



ver.scly banded with dusky. Wings and tail, darlc-brown. Bill and feet, ashy-bluo, and iri-*, brown. 



Adult female and winter male. Upper surface, dark reddish-brown, finely spotted and marked with wavy lines of dusk 

 y; throat, and line at base of ))ill, whitish. Otherwise as in male. Vokw^. Similar, but paler. 



