Anatine Genus and Its Nearest Allies. i at 
Aethyja GLOGER, (Froriep’s) Notizen Gebiete Natur u. Heilk., XVI, No. 
18, March, 1827, col. 279 (nom. emend. pro Aythya Boie; type, therefore, 
Anas ferina Linnaeus). 
Aethyia GLOGHER, (Froriep’s) Notizen Gebiete Natur u. Heilk. XVI, No. 
18, March, 1827, col. 279 (nom. emend. pro Aythya Boie; type, therefore, 
Anas ferina Linnaeus). 
Aithya BOIH, Isis (von Oken), 1828, Heft III-IV, col. 359 (nom. emend. 
pro Aythya Boie; type thus Anas ferina Linnaeus) (nec Aethya Dumont). 
Fuligula SWAINSON, Nat. Hist. and Classif. Birds, II, July 1, 18387, p. 
368 (Ray MS.) (type by monotypy, Fuligula ferina Selby [= Anas ferina 
Linnaeus] ). 
Athya BRANDT, in Helmersen, Lehmann’s Reise Buchara und Samar- 
kand, 1852, p. 329 (type by monotypy, “Fuligula ferina Linn.” [= Anas 
ferina Linnaeus] ). 
Marila REICHENBACH, Avium Syst. Nat., 1852, p. VIII (type by orig- 
inal designation, Anas ferina Linnaeus). 
Aythia SALVADORI, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XXVII, 1895, p. 334 (Boie 
MS.) (type by original designation, Anas ferina Linnaeus). 
Diagnosis—Similar to Perissonetta, but length of exposed culmen de- 
cidedly shorter than inner toe with claw, and less than twice the height 
of bill at extreme base; feathering on sides of maxilla not extending for- 
ward as far as the feathering at the base of the culmen; anterior outline 
of feathering at the base of culmen triangular and reaching anteriorly 
to an acute point; length of wing more than 4 times the length of exposed 
culmen, tip of bill squarish, its width at posterior end of nail 21/2 times 
the length of nail; height of bill at extreme base 11/4-13/8 times its great- 
est width ; and base of culmen deeply concave. 
Description—Wing 41/4-42/5 times the length of exposed culmen; bill 
somewhat flattened terminally, its width near end about 11/20 times 
its width at base, its tip squarish, its width at posterior end of nail about 
21/2 times the length of nail; tip of maxilla moderately hooked; nail of 
bill rather narrow and strap-shaped; height of bill at extreme base 1 1/4- 
13/8 times the greatest width of bill; base of culmen deeply concave; length 
of exposed culmen 1 4/5-1 6/7 times the height of bill at extreme base, about 
22/5 times the greatest width of bill, and decidedly less than inner toe with 
claw ; anterior outline of feathering at base of culmen triangular and acute- 
ly pointed ; feathering on sides of maxilla not reaching forward as far as 
the feathering at the base of culmen; a short occipital crest. 
Type.—Anas ferina Linnaeus. 
Remarks.—tThis, the type of this monotypic genus, is very much more 
different from the species above included in Nyroca than authors have here- 
tofore realized, largely because its distinctive characteristics have appar- 
ently been unappreciated. Its separation now as a distinct genus is based 
almost entirely on new characters. From Nyroca it may readily be sepa- 
rated by the deep longitudinal cavity at the base of the culmen, squarish 
tip of bill, and in having the width of the bill at the posterior end of nail 
at least 21/2 times the length of the nail; tip of mavxilla less strongly 
hooked ; nail of bill relatively narrow and strap-like; and the height of bill 
at base 11/4-13/8 times the greatest width of bill. 
a 
