342 FEATHERED GAME 



of the bill, nearly circular in form. The crest 

 feathers are long and fluffy, erected at will. 

 The whole feathering of the head is somewhat 

 puffy. Back and much of the wings are black, 

 though some of the secondaries and coverts are 

 white and seem to make quite a band of this 

 color in the wing. Under parts white. Long 

 flank feathers white with a broad edging of 

 black. Rump and tail black. Bill greenish 

 black. Feet and legs orange with dusky webs 

 and black nails. Iris bright golden yellow, 

 whence the name, '' Golden-eyed Duck." 



The female is a trim little lady with neat and 

 becoming attire. Her head dark chestnut or 

 brown. A white ring about the neck, and below 

 this a second circle of blue-gray coming up 

 from the color of the back. Below white, grow- 

 ing dusky on the flanks. Wings and upper 

 works generally, covered with grayish blue, the 

 edges of the feathers whitish. Speculum white. 

 Bill dusky brown, yellow-tipped. Iris as in the 

 male. The female averages much smaller than 

 the male. 



They are abundant throughout North Amer- 

 ica, and while ranging in winter to the West In- 

 dies and Mexico are rather more common in the 



