770 THE AMERICAN WIDGEON, 
No. 300. 
AMERICAN WIDGEON. 
“A. O. U. No. 137. Mareca americana (Gmel.). 
Synonyms.—WiuGEON. GREEN-HEADED WIGEON. BALppaTe. 
Description.—Adult male: Head and neck white or light buffy, thickly 
speckled, except on forehead and crown, with dusky; a space from eye along side 
of crown to occiput bright glossy green, the color scattering behind ; fore-neck and 
upper breast, sides of breast broadly, and sides narrowly, deep vinaceous, edged 
more or less with hoary vinaceous; the sides with fine wayy bars; back and scapu- 
lars similar, black-and-white-barred, and heavily tinged with vinaceous; tertials 
lanceolate, velvety black, with greenish reflections on outer webs, and narrowly 
bordered on outer margin with gray and white; wing-coverts mostly white, the 
lesser brownish gray, the greater tipped with black; speculum dull black with 
green gloss only on anterior inner portion, the inner bounding feathers abruptly 
gray; rump cold brownish gray, lightening to grayish white on upper tail-coverts, 
both finely wavy-barred with dusky ; tail tapering, the feathers sharply acuminate ; 
the central feathers blackish, the lateral ones ashy gray; lower breast and belly 
white; crissum abruptly black; axillars white; lining of wings white and brownish 
gray; bill grayish dusky, blackening below and black on tip; feet dull grayish 
dusky ; darker webbed. Old drakes have the extreme chin dusky, and are other- 
wise lighter about the bill, nearly immaculate on throat, and pure white on crown. 
Adult female: Without white or green on head,—uniformly streaked instead ; 
vinaceous replaced by dull cinnamon-brown; obscurely mixed with dusky, and 
edged with brownish-gray ; above dusky or fuscous, barred or edged on back with 
dull ochraceous ; wing-coverts grayish brown sharply edged with white; speculum 
and boundaries as in male; no solid black on upper tail-coverts and crissum,— 
fuscous or brownish and whitish instead. Length 18.00-22.00 (457.2-558.8) ; wing 
10.50 (266.7) ; tail 3.00-4.50 (76.2-114.3) ; bill 1.50 (38.1); tarsus 1.56 (39.6). 
Recognition Marks.—Under Mallard size; white “pate” and green head- 
patches of male; white of middle and greater wing-coverts; speculum diagnostic. 
Head not cinnamon-red, as distinguished from M/. penelope (H.). 
Nesting.—Nest: on the ground near water; well constructed, of grasses, 
lined with feathers. Eggs: 8-12, buffy white. Av. size, 2.00 x 1.50 (50.8 x 38.1). 
Season: c. June 1st; one brood. 
General Range.—North America from the Arctic Ocean south in winter to 
Guatemala and Cuba, Breeds chiefly north of the United States. 
Range in Washington.—Common winter resident and migrant thruout the 
State—probably the commonest of the Anatinz west of the Cascades. A few re- 
main to breed in the interior. 
Authorities.—Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 1858, p. 784. T. C&S. 
Lt, Rh- Dt. 7. BoE. 
Specimens.—( U. of W.) Prov. B. E. 
