ANATIN.E — THE DUCKS — A1X. 



11 



Aix sponsa. ^ 



THE WOOD DUCK ; SUMMER DUCK. 



Anas sponsa, Linn. S. X. ed. 1", I. 17;.8, 128; ed. 12, ]. 17«sl, 207. - WlLS. Ami. Om. VIII. 1814, 



'.'7. pi. 70, f. 3. - Nurr. Man. II. 1834, 394. - Arj>. din. Biog. III. L835, .".2 ; V. 1839, 618/ pi. 



206 ; Synop. 1839, 280 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 271, pi. 391. 

 Aix sponsa, BoiE, Isis, 1826, 329. Baiiid, B. N. Am. 1858, 785 ; Cat. N. Am. 13. 1859, no. 587.— 



CoUES, Key, 1872. 288 ; Check List, 1873, no. 499; 2d ed. 1882, no. 719 ; B. N. W. 1874,571.— 



Ridow. Norn. X. Am. I'.. 1881, no. 613. 

 Dendronessa spmtsa, *v . & Kl< n. K. I'.. A. II. 1831, 416. 



II a is. Whole of temperate North America, north to the Fur ( lountries ; breeding throughout 

 its range. Cuba. Accidental in Europe. 



Sp. Char. Adult male: chin, throat, and foreneck pure white, sending off laterally two 

 branches, — the first across the cheeks, lurk of, and nearly to, the posterior angle of the eye, the 

 second across the lower pari of the neck, almost to the nape; both bars tapering toward the end, 

 and somewhat curved or falcate in shape; si narrow while line begins sii the point of the maxil- 

 lary angle, and is continued back sach side of the crown, widening considerably on the side 



of the crest ; si sir., nil white line commences aboul half .in inch behind the eye, siml nearly the 

 same distance above the end of the 

 white cheek-bar, and follows the lower 

 edge of the crest, where considerably 

 wider than anteriorlj ; remainder of the 

 head silky metallic green, violet, siml 

 purple, as follows : cheeks and space be- 

 hind the white cheek bar soft viola- 



i ii- black, in the latter region extend 



ing up tn the lower white stripe, but in 



the anterior area 1 nded above and 



anteriorly by dark metallic green, the 

 orbital region and anterior half of the 

 crest between the white lines metallic- 

 reddish purple ; forehead, crown, and 

 posterior portion of the cresl metallic 

 green; terminal portion of the crest, 

 above, laterally, siml beneath, shirk me- 

 tallic violet. Jugulum rich purplish 

 chestnut, with si metallic-purple gloss lat- 

 erally, the front and lower pari marked 

 with deltoid Bpots of white, growing 

 larger toward the breast ; breast and ab- 

 domen immaculate while ; sides of the 

 breast withabroad white transverse bar, 

 and a wide black one immediately be- 

 hind it ; sides and flanks pale fulvous 

 buff, delicately undulated with black, the 

 broad feathers forming the upper border 

 each beautifully marked with two black Male. 



rn scentic bars, inclosing si white one ; 



crissum dull black, fading gradually into dull rusty fulvous on the siusil region. Back, lesser wing- 

 coverts, and rump shirk slaty brownish, very faintly glossed with bronze, the wing-coverts more slaty, 

 the rump much darker, and gradual!) deepening into black toward the upper tail-coverts, which, 

 with the tail, sire deep black, the hitter with bronze-green reflection in certain lights ; a somewhat 

 ovate patch (pointed posteriorly) of rich dark metallic maroon-purple on each side of the rump, 

 immediately behind the flanks ; just behind this, the tun or three elongated lateral upper tail-coverts 



