LAMELLIROSTEES— ANATIDAE— DAFILA ACUTA. 



473 



insects and crustaceans abound. The species winters in great numbers in 

 New Mexico along the Rio Grande. 



Anas obscura Gmel., Syst. Nat., i, 1788, 541.— Bn., Birds N. A., 1858, 775.— Henry, 

 Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila., 1859, 109 (New Mexico).— Snow, Birds Kan., 

 1872, 15.— CouES, Key N. A. Birds, 1872, 285.— Yakrow & Henshaw, 

 Eep. Orn. Specs., 1872, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 31.— CouES, Birds North- 

 west, 1874, 560. 



The Black Duck is quite restricted in its western range, and I am able 

 to find no note of its occm-rence farther west than Kansas. Upon Dr. 

 Yarrow's authority, it appears to be a bird of Utah, he having seen a num- 

 ber of what he believed to be this species at Rush Lake in November. 



DAFILA ACUTA (Linn.). 

 Spri§r- or Pin-fail ]>iick. 



Anas acuta, Linn., Syst. Nat., i, 176G, 202. 



Dafila acuta, Bd., Stans. Rep. Exp. Great Salt Lake, 1852, 323. — Woodh., Sitgreave's 

 Exp. Great Salt Lake, 1854, 103 (New Mexico, Cal.).— Newb., P. R. R. Rep., 

 vi, 1857, 102 (California; Oreson).— Bd., Birds N. A., 1858, 770.— Ken- 

 NERLY, P. R. R. Rep., Whipple's Route, x, 1859, 34.— Heerm., P. R. R. 

 Rep., X, pt. iv, 1859, G9.— Bd., U. S. & Mex. Bound. Surv., ii, pt. ii, 1859, 

 Birds, 20.- Xantus, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 195 (Fort Tejon, 

 Ca!.).— Henry, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 109 (New Mexico).— 

 Coop. & Suckl., P. R. R. Rep., xii, pt. ii, 1860, 253.— Hayd., Trans. Am. 

 Phil. Soc, xii, 1862, 175.— CouES, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1860, 98.— 

 Snow, Birds Kan., 1872, 15.— Allen, Bui. Mus. Comp. Z06I., 1872, 183.— 

 Merriam, U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., 1872, 703.— Yarrow & Henshaw, Rep. 

 Orn. Specs., 1872, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 31. — Henshaw, Rep. Orn. Specs., 

 1873, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 146.— Coues, Birds Northwest, 1874, 561. 



During the fall, this duck is found in greater or less numbers among 

 the throngs of the other species that visit this region on their way to the 



