THE LITTLE BLACK-HEAD. 505 
season of incubation on our coast; but, in the interior, it is 
an abundant breeder, —in the lake country, in Wisconsin, 
and other localities in similar latitudes. It nests on the 
ground ; forming, as I am told, a nest of grass and weeds in 
a marshy swamp, very similar to the nest of the Mallard that 
breeds in the same localities. 
The eggs are from six to ten in number: they are of an 
ovate form, sometimes nearly oval; and are of a dirty pale- 
drab color, with a slight tint of olivaceous. 
They vary in dimensions from 2.32 by 1.60 to 2.26 by 
1.52 inch (both sizes from Wisconsin). 
FULIX AFFINIS. — Baird. 
The Little Black-head; Blue Bill. 
Fuligula marila, Audubon. Orn. Biog., III. (1885) 226; V. (1839) 614. Jb., 
Birds Am., VI. (1843) 316. 
Fuligula mimor, Giraud. Birds L. Island (1844), 823. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Bill blue; the nail black; head, neck, forepart of breast, and back anterior to 
the shoulder, lower part of back, tail and its coverts, black; the head with violet 
purple reflections, changing occasionally to green; the belly and sides, with axillars, 
and central portion of inner surfaces of wings pure-white; the lower part of the 
belly, near the anus, undulated finely with black spots; the interscapular region and 
scapulars white, with transverse zigzag bands or lines of black, these lines much 
further apart in the scapulars, which consequently are whiter; wings blackish; the 
lesser and middle coverts sprinkled with grayish; the speculum is white, edged 
behind by greenish-black, the color also of the tertials; the white of the speculum 
goes across the middle of the secondaries; iris yellow. 
The female has the wing nearly similar; the black replaced by brownish; the 
region round the base of the bill whitish; the marbling or mottling almost entirely 
wanting. 
Length, sixteen and fifty one-hundredths inches; wing, eight; tarsus, one and 
thirty-four one-hundredths; commissure, one and ninety-four one-hundredths inch. 
This species resembles the former in its general habits, 
but is more abundant on our coast, where it is generally 
known to our gunners by the name of “ Blue-bill Coot.” 
It appears in our creeks and bays early in October, and 
remains with us until late in November, and even later, if 
the season is mild and open. 
