708 THE RING-NECKED DUCK. 
THE Little Bluebill of the sportsman is to all intents and purposes a 
smaller counterpart of the foregoing species; indeed, the colors of the female 
are almost exactly alike. The male of the variety under discussion may, how- 
ever, be distinguished by a purplish iridescence on the head and neck, where 
its larger cousin shows a decided greenish cast. It may be considered almost 
a certainty that the two species occasionally interbreed, for in a large series of 
both kinds, may be found birds of intermediate size, which form almost per- 
fect connecting links. 
It is not quite so common a bird as the Greater Scaup, and in this State 
appears to restrict its range almost entirely to fresh water. In consequence of 
this choice, its food is such as to render the epicure perfectly safe in adding 
the bird to his bill-of-fare whenever possible. 
The nesting habits of all the Scaups are so nearly identical that a deserip- 
tion of one serves equally well for any of the others. The eggs are similar in 
color to those of the Greater, but, naturally, are smaller, averaging in measure- 
ment 2.24 X 1.54 inches. 
It is probable that this species will never be found nesting in the State, as 
its inclinations are even more northerly than those of the Greater Scaup. 
J. H. Bow es. 
No. 320. 
RING-NECKED DUCK. 
A ©. U. No. 150. Marila collaris (Donov.). 
Description.—dult male: Head and neck sooty and lustrous black, with 
slight greenish and strong violet-purple iridescence ; a short dense occipital crest; 
extreme chin white; a broad chestnut collar not clearly defined; fore-neck, breast, 
and upperparts rich, deep, brownish black, glossed with purplish on the breast, 
with green on the longer scapulars and tertiaries, minutely dotted with white on 
the scapulars; lower breast and belly white, becoming purplish on crissum and 
flanks; a transverse bar of white on sides of breast continuous with under-parts ; 
sides minutely vermiculated dusky and white (as many as a hundred bars to the 
inch) ; wing-coverts grayish brown, becoming dull glossy green on posterior por- 
tion; speculum ashy gray tipped with brownish dusky, and berdered interiorly 
with bluish gray of outer tertials; axillars and lining of wings white; bill black, 
narrowly pale bluish at base, and crossed by band of same color near tip; feet 
dull blue with dusky webs; iris yellow. Adult female: Black of male replaced 
by brown,—dark umber brown on crown and upperparts, warm yellowish brown 
on breast and sides, paling on sides of head and neck to white on throat and 
whitish about base of bill; belly less clearly or extensively white; wing much 
as in male. Length 16.00-18.00 (406.4-457.2);: av. of six males: wing 7.54 
(191.5); tail 2.26 (57.4); bill 1.88 (47.8); tarsus 1.39 (35.3). Female some- 
what smaller. 
