AMERICAN WIDGEON. 1 1 1 



distinct lines of blackish and white on the lower back ; 

 the upper and under tail-coverts glossy black; the tail 

 brownish-gray; the wing-coverts broadly white, some 

 of them tipped with black, so as to make a black bar 

 across the wing. The speculum is green and black ; the 

 lower breast and belly white, which extends up on the 

 sides of the rump. The bill is light bluish, with a black 

 tip, and the feet are somewhat darker, with still darker 

 webs. 



This is the color of the most highly plumaged males, 

 and from this there are all gradations down to the 

 much duller female, which entirely lacks the green head- 

 patch, the large white wing-patch, and in which the 

 speculum is very much duller, being merely blackish, 

 with a white border in front. The general aspect of the 

 female is streaked and speckled with blackish brown and 

 whitish, becoming darker on the breast and sides of 

 body. The upper parts are grayish and the under parts 

 nearly white, the under tail-coverts being barred with 

 black and white. Young males usually have the breast 

 purplish-gray, the speculum brilliant, and traces of 

 white wing-coverts. 



The bald-pate or widgeon is widely distributed 

 throughout America and is found in winter as far south 

 as Mexico and even Central America. It is an occa- 

 sional straggler to Europe, but is found there only by 

 accident. At the present day it is merely a winter vis- 

 itor to the United States, except in certain portions of 

 the West, where a few widgeons may still breed on the 

 high central plateau or on the flanks of the Rocky 



