10 



LAMELLIRI >STRAL SWIMMERS — ANSERES. 



neck much elongated, forming a conspicuous ruff of soft, narrow feathers; inner tertial 

 with the shaft touch bent, giving to the outer web a falcate form, the inner web widened 

 into an excessively broad, fan-like, or sail-like ornament. Tail short ; the rectrices shorter 

 than the lower coverts, much longer than the upper. (Aix, Boie.) 

 A. sponsa. Feathering at the base of the maxilla extending much farther forward at the ric- 

 tus than at the sides of the forehead, and forming a gently curved (convex) line between 

 these points ; depth of the bill at the base much greater than the width, the upper base 

 of the maxilla forming a deep angle extending a considerable distance on each side of the 

 forehead; feathers of the side of the head and neck short and velvety, inner tertial of 

 normal form, the shaft straight. Tail long (half as long as the wing), vaulted, graduated, 

 the leathers very broad, and extending tar beyond the coverts. (I), ndronessa, Swainson.) 



The nearest ally of Aix, so far as structure is 

 represented by the well-known Muscovy Duck (C. 



concerned, in America, is the genus Cairina, 

 moschata) ; but this differs in many important 



,1 . sponsa. 



particulars, chief among which are the very large Mature and marked discrepancy in size between 

 the sexes, and the brownish fleshy caruncles on the forehead and lores. The points of similarity 

 are numerous, however, the tail being long, broad, graduated, and somewhat vaulted, the nail 

 of the hill very luge and broad, the nostrils huge and open, the head crested, etc. Among the 

 peculiarities of Cairina, as distinguished from other American genera, are the naked and caruncled 

 tare, the extremely lengthened secondaries, and relatively .-holt greater wing-coverts. 



