ANATIN.E - THE DUCKS — XETTION. 



3 



Querqucdula carolimnsis, Stephens, Shaw's Gen, Zool. XII. ii. 1824, 12S. — Coues, Key, 1S72, 

 2S7 , Check List, 1873, no. 495 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 715 , B. X. W. 1874, 565. 



Nettion carol 'hums is, Baikd, B. N. Am. 1S58, 777; Cat. N. Am. B. 1S59, no. 579. — Ridgw. Nom 

 N. Am. B. 1881, no. 612. 



Anas americana, V'ieill. Enc. Meth. 1823, 155. 



" Aims sylvatica, Vieill. ?" 



Hab. North America in general, breeding chiefly north of the United States, migrating south 

 as far as Honduras and Cuba. Greenland. 



Adult male: Head and neck rich chestnut-rufous, inclosing a broad patch of soft dark metallic 

 green on each side of the occiput, from the eye (which it surrounds) down the sides of the nape, 

 where the two areas of the opposite side-; touch a short nuchal crest of bluish-black. The green 

 patch bordered anteriorly and beneath by a yellowish white line, and a less distinct line of the 





same bordering the base of the upper mandible, extending thence back to, and indistinctly follow- 

 ing, for a short distance, the upper anterior portion of the green patch. Chin and upper part of the 

 throat dull black. Front of the jugulum deep pinkish cream-color, with roundish and transversely 

 ovate spots of black. Collar round the lower neck, sides of the jugulum, sides, and flanks, very 

 delicately and beautifully undulated with black upon a white ground ; outer scapulars similarly 

 waved. Sides of the breast with a large transverse bar of plain white. Crissum rich deep cream- 

 color, bounded anteriorly, and divided medially, with velvety black ; post-femoral region waved 

 like the flanks ; rest of lower parts plain while, sometimes tinged with cream-color. Back, scapu- 

 lars, rump, wing-coverts, primaries, and tail, plain cinereous. Outer row of scapulars with their 

 outer webs about half velvety black bordered interiorly with a white line. Last row of coverts 

 broadly tipped with deep ochraceous ; speculum opaque black, narrowly tipped with white, the 

 four or five upper feathers with their outer webs richly brilliant soft metallic green, varying from 

 golden to violaceous, according to the li^ht. Bill black ; iris brown ; feet light fleshy (horn-color 

 when dried). Advltfemak : Wing as in the male, but duller. Above, cinereous-dusky, variegated 

 with edgings and transverse bars of ochraceous-white. Ground-color of the head, neck, and lower 

 parts, dingy whitish, more or less tinged with ochraceous ; head and neck speckled with dusky, 

 the spots enlarged and aggregated on the pileum, so as to form the prevailing color, and also along 



