THE LESSER SCAUP DUCK. 605 
No. 2906. 
LESSER SCAUP DUCK. 
f 
VA. O. U. No. 149. Aythya affinis (Eyt.). 
Synonyms.—L&sser Scaup; LitrLe BLAcCKHEAD, BLUEBILL, etc. 
Description.—Adult male: Similar to preceding but smaller; the head not 
giossed with green,—violet or purplish instead. Adult female: Distinguishable 
from that of A. marila only by smaller size. Length 15.00-17.00 (381.-431.8) ; 
wing 8.00 (203.2) ; tail 2.30 (58.4) ; bill 1.65 (41.9); tarsus 1.40 (35.6). 
Recognition Marks.—See preceding species; smaller. 
Nesting.—Not certainly known to breed in Ohio. Nest and Eggs, like those 
of preceding species. Av. size of eggs, 2.25 x 1.58 (57.2 X 40.1). 
General Range.—North America in general breeding chiefly north of the 
United States, migrating south to Guatemala and the West Indies. 
Range in Ohio.—Common spring and fall migrant. A few linger through 
the summer, but it is not certain that they breed. 
A CAREFUL Sass _ enumeration of the 
ducks found SS ~ tam (©) }ol 1) 
Taken in Oberlin ? , P "Photo by the Author 
A FAVORITE WAY STATION. 
THE OBERLIN WATER-WORKS RESERVOIR UPON WHICH MORE THAN TWENTY SPECIES OF 
WATER BIRDS HAVE BEEN RECORDED. 
would probably prove this “Little Black-head,” or ‘Little Blue-bill” as he is 
known to the hunters, the most numerous of all our ducks. It is certainly 
true that more individuals of this species are seen on our rivers, ponds, reser- 
voirs and lakes than any other ducks. They are wary and wide awake where 
