36 



LAMELLIROSTRAL SWIMMERS — ANSERES. 



.ffithyia americana. 



THE RED-HEADED DUCK. 



Anas ferina, Wils. Am. Oin. VIII. 1814, 110, pi. 70, fig. 6 (not of LlNN.). 



Fuligula ferina, Bonap. Synop. 1828, 392. — Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II. 1831, 452. — Ntttt. Man. 



II. 1S34, 434. — Aud. Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 198, pi. 322 ; Synop. 1839, 287 ; B.Am. VI. 1843, 



311, pi. 396. 

 Fuligula americana, Eyton, Mon. Anat. 1838, 155. 



Aythya ferina, S, americana, Bonap. Compt. Rend. XLIII. Sept. 1856, 651. 

 Aythya americana, Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 793 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 591. 

 JEthyia americana, Scl. .V S.u.v. Nora. Neotr. 1873. — Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 618. 

 Aythya ferina, var. americana, Allen, Bull. M. O. Z. III. 1872, 183. 

 Fuligula ferina, var. americana, Coras, Key, 1872, 289 ; Check List, 1873, no. 503; B. X. W. 



1874, 575. 

 Fuligula ferina amrricana, Coues, Che k List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 723. 

 Aythya crythroccphala, Bonap. Conip. I st, 1838, 58. 



Hab. The whole of North America, breeding from Central California and Maine, to the Fur 

 Countries ; Bahamas. 



Sp. Char. Bill much shorter than the middle toe (without claw), broad, the end moderately 

 depressed, and with the nail decidedly decurved, the culmen about two and a half times the great- 

 est width of the maxilla, and decidedly concave. Adult male: Head and upper half, or more, 

 of the neck rich reddish chestnut, the latter glossed with reddish purple ; lower part of the 



neck, jugulum, anterior part of the back, 

 lower part of the rump, tipper tail-coverts, 

 " - v and erissum, black; back, scapulars, sides, and 



flanks, densely vermiculated with white and 

 dusky in about equal proportion ; anal re- 

 gion similarly, but more faintly, marked ; 

 entire abdomen immaculate white ; wing- 

 coverts deep plumbeous-gray, faintly and 

 minutely sprinkled witli white ; secondaries 

 ("speculum") pale bluish gray, the upper 

 feathers edged with black, the others nar- 

 rowly tipped with white ; primaries dusky, 

 the inner quills slate-gray, except at ends ; 

 tail dusky. Bill pale blue, the end black ; 

 iris red ; feet bluish gray. Adult femali : 

 Head and neck grayish brown, darkest 

 above ; the anterior part of the head light- 

 Male. er. almost white on the chin and upper part 



of the throat ; jugulum, sides, and flanks 

 dull grayish brown, the feathers tipped with fulvous ; wings as in the male, but the coverts plain 

 slate-color; back and scapulars grayish brown, the feathers with paler tips ; rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, and tail dusky grayish brown ; anal region paler ; longer lower tail-coverts whitish. Bill 

 plumbeous, the end black ; iris yellow ; feet plumbeous. Downy young (No. S2481, St. Clair Flats, 

 Mich., June 29, L880 ; W. H. Collins) : Above, ochreous olive-brown, indistinctly relieved by an 

 olive-yellow spot back of each wing, one on the hind border of each arm-wing, and one on each 

 side of the rump ; entire head and neck (except pileum and nape), with whole lower parts deep, 

 buff yellow, paler and less yellow on abdomen and anal region. No dark markings whatever on 

 side of head. Bill ami feel light colored (brownish in dried skin). 



Total length, about, 20.00-21.00 inches ; extent, 33.00 ; wing, about 8.50 ; culmen, 2.05-2.25 ; 

 greatest width of bill, .75-.S5 ; tarsus, 1.60-1.65 ; middle toe, 2.30-2.40. 



The American Red-head Duck is quite distinct from the Pochard of Europe, though resembling 

 it very closely. The latter has the lull narrower and longer, in fact nearly intermediate in shape 



