76 Birds of North Carolina 



of them. We often see young Black Ducks, Wood Ducks, and sometimes Mallards, 

 but I never saw or heard of young Blackheads at Currituck before. There is a 

 flock of two hundred or two hundred and fifty Scaup now on the beach ijonds of 

 the Swan Island Cluli, and I liave no iloubt man}' of thcni are young birds." 



56. Marila collaris (Donov.). Ring-necked Duck. 



Ad. a\ — Chin wliilr; lii'iid, nock, l)reast and upper bark black, head with bhiish reflections, 

 neck witli a not sliarply dc^fined chestnut colUir; tiack and .scapulars bUick, speculum yray; upper 

 and under tail-coverts black, belly white, lower belly and sides finely barred with wavy black 

 lines; bill black, base and a Ixmd across end Itluish tjray. Ad. 9. — t"p[)erparts fuscous-brown, 

 more or Ics.s m;u-gined with ochraceous; speculum (irdij; sides of head and neck mixed p-ayish 

 bi'own and white; brea.st, sides and lower belly grayish brown, more or less margined with 

 ochraceous; upper belly white or W'hitish; bill blackish, an indistinct band of bluish gray 

 across its end. L., 1(>..50; W., "..'')(); Tar., 1.2."j; B., l.StX 



Remarks. — The male liing-neck may be knowni from any of its allies by its chestnut collar 

 and other excellent eharaeters; the female resembles the female Redhead, but is smaller and 

 generally browner. (Chap., Birdx of E. X. A.) 



Raiu/c. — North America, breeding from the northwestern States northward, winters from 

 New Jersey to Central America. 



Range in North Carolina. — Coastal region in winter; rare. 



Fig. 46. Ki.vG-NKCKKi) Dcck (ailult imile). 



As thi.s is usually mistaken for the Little Blackhead by gunners, its comi)arative 

 abundance is difficult to ascertain. At a little distance the two are indistinguish- 

 able. Only a few specimens have been recorded in North Carolina. Cairns speaks 

 of it as a rare transient in Buncombe County, and there are two in the State 

 Museum which were taken on the coast. Its summer home is far to the north, and 

 it is one of the few ducks which are said to use no feathers in their nests. 



Brinson, who is (juotcd in regard to the Broadbill, states that possibly one per 

 cent of the "Blackheads" killed in eastern North Carolina are Ring-necks. He thus 

 regards it as comparatively rare. 



