ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 173 



(Reise, i, 282 ; ii, 339-40). " Rather common ; breeds" — Deca- 

 tur and Mahaska (T. M. Trippe, Proc. Bost. Soc, xv, 1872, 241). 



Morton E. Peck states: "Formerly it was the most common of 

 the ducks breeding in the valley of the Cedar. In late summer 

 the ponds and small streams swarmed with the young birds. 

 Within the past ten years they have almost ceased to breed in 

 Blackhawk county. Rare in Linn" and Hardin counties." "I 

 know of four places where four families of Wood Ducks were 

 reared last year (1905) in Jasper county" (J. L. Sloanaker). In 

 W' innebago and Hancock counties a few pairs are found every 

 summer along Lime Creek. In the western part of the state the 

 Wood Duck appears to be less common than in the eastern por- 

 tions. Dr. Trostler reports it as a rare summer resident in Potta- 

 wattamie county, and Dr. Rich that it is an uncommon transient 

 and has bred in the vicinity of Sioux City. 



The Wood Duck is remarkable for its habit of frequentlj- alight- 

 ing in trees and also for foraging in the timber, feeding largely 

 on acorns at certain seasons. It is quite a hardy species, appear- 

 ing early in the spring and remaining until late October. 



Subfamily FULIGULIN.E. Sea Ducks. 



The members of this subfamily are distinguished from the pre- 

 ceding by the presence of a lobe or web on the hind toe. They 

 usually frequent open water, — ba^^s, lakes, etc., — and obtain their 

 food principalh- by diving, sometimes descending to a great 

 depth. Their food consists principally of molluscs, crustaceans, 

 and the seeds and roots of aquatic plants. 



Genus Aythya Boie. 

 Subgenus Aythya Boie. 



40. (146). Aythya americana (Eyt.). Redhead. 



The Redhead is very generallj^ distributed over the state during 

 the migrations, but very few observers class it as common in the 

 interior of the state. Along the Mississippi River it seems to be 

 more common. In the Keokuk district it is given as a "common 

 migrant" (Praeger); Lee — "migrant, in irregular abundance" 

 (Currier); Jackson — " common transient " (Giddings). On the 

 Missouri, Dr. Trostler reports it as an abundant migrant in Potta- 

 wattamie and Mills. 



[Proc. D. \. S., Vol. XI.] 25 [August 24, 1906.] 



